They did WHAT!
by The-New-Mrs.-Whitlock
Summary: When Fred and George find themselves bored Harry and Sev find a very interesting book about what happened to the 'Golden Trio' the year before. Reading 'Deathly Hallows' with a slight twist. Fred/Hermione, Severus/Harry, Mpreg, if you don't like it don't read it. Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter... J.K. Rowling does...
1. Chapter 1-The Dursley's Departing

"Gred! I'm bored! What prank should we do next? One on dear old Professor Snape?" George asked his brother as he lay across his four poster bed.

Fred groaned, "No. He's off limits now anyway...I don't think Harry would appreciate it."

"You're right...but I'm bloody bored." Fred sighed and kicked his trunk. They had decided to return to Hogwarts for their last year at Hogwarts to study for their N.E. . Fred of course did it to be closer to Hermione, something George took the time to tease him about all the time.

"I'm going for a walk...I'll be back in a bit." Fred said walking out of the dorm. George just stared after him, finally shaking his head in amusement.

~oOo~

"Sev! I'm not a bloody invalid!" Harry Potter said exasperated. He had had this argument many times with his lover.

Severus just raised an eyebrow at him, "You are carrying my child are you not?" Harry said nothing. "Then you shall not be performing arduous spells."

Harry just sighed and glanced down at the Potions Master's coffee table and frowned. He didn't remember that book at all. 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'. "Bloody hell."

"What is it, Harry? What is wrong?" Severus asked, getting up from his seat in front of the fire. Putting his book down in his place.

Harry picked up the book and showed it to the older man. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. What the bloody hell does that mean?"

Severus studied the book for a minute before opening the cover and pulling out a piece of parchment. He ran a few spells over it before deciding it was alright to open it. "Dear Severus and Harry, in this book you will find the events of last year's war effort on Harry's part. We sent the book back because Severus, Fred, and George deserve to know what happened while the 'Golden Trio' was off saving the world."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the nickname but said nothing as Severus continued to read the letter. "Gather Fred, George, Ron, and Hermione and read the book in the room of requirement. From, Your Pal From the Future."

"Do you want me to go and get them?" Harry asked, still sounding confused.

"Should we even trust this?" Severus asked, holding the book up.

Harry sighed, taking it from Severus' hand and flipping through it a few pages. Harry read a little bit and frowned. "It's right...a little too right. It's from my perspective."

Severus' eyes lit up at that. "Then go and get your friends. I shall meet you in the room of requirement with this." he said taking the book with him as he left his quarters. Harry groaned realizing that he had just given Severus a reason to enjoy himself.

He trudged up to the Gryffindor common room to find Ron and George playing chess in front of the fire and Hermione reading a book from the couch while calling out suggestions to George who glared at her when she was wrong. Harry couldn't help but chuckle at his friends antics.

"Hey guys, Sev and I need to see you in the ROR as soon as possible, do you know where Fred is?" he asked.

George shrugged, "He said he was going for a walk."

"He's right here." A figure said as they walked into the common room. When the light from the fire reached him it was clear that the figure was Fred Weasley. "Just met Dark and Spooky by the ROR. Figured I'd come and see what was taking you so long."

Hermione tried to hide a giggle as Harry glared at the twin who was not missing an ear. "I could make sure your mother can't tell you apart again if that's what you want."

"Don't mess with the pregnant man." Ron said, getting up from his seat, smirking.

"I like my boyfriend the way he is, thank you." Hermione said, getting up from her spot on the couch to kiss Fred's cheek.

"It might be fun though. Mum would always get so frustrated." Fred chuckled. "Come on, the dungeon bat is waiting."

"Don't let him hear you calling him that." Harry grumbled, "I only let you get away with it cause it was funny the first few times." They continued to talk as they walked towards the ROR. When they reached the door and walked inside it was a comfortable dark red and deep green. Harry smirked when he realized it was the perfect combination of Severus' Slytherin side and his Gryffindor side.

Harry saw Severus sitting in the arm chair and decided to sit in his lap. Hermione sat next to Fred and George while Ron laid on his stomach on the floor. "So why are we here?" George asked.

Severus wrapped his arm around Harry and situated him so that he could comfortably grab the book from the table in front of them. He then reread the letter to them and told them that he thought they should read it without giving his reasons.

"Sounds good to me." Fred said, he had been wondering why Hermione flinched when he touched her from behind. She had her wand pointed on him more often than not and he wanted to know how to help her.

"So, who's gonna start?" Ron asked.

"I will read." Severus said opening the book to the first page ."**The Dursleys Departing**"

"Yay!" Harry cheered, that had been one of the lighter moments of his life. Sure Dudley might have changed but it didn't mean his Uncle and Aunt had.

Meanwhile Ron and Hermione shared a look while Severus raised an eyebrow. Harry cared for nearly everyone, family meant everything to him. Why would he be so excited to say goodbye to his family?

** The sound of the front door slamming echoed up the stairs and a voice roared, "Oi! You!"** **Sixteen years of being addressed thus left Harry in no doubt when his uncle was calling, nevertheless, he did not immediately respond. **

"Good." George said with a firm nod of his head and a slight grin on his face.

"Make him," Fred continued.

"Use your name." They finished together.

** He was still staring at the narrow fragment in which, for a split second, he had thought he saw Dumbledore's eye. It was not until his uncle bellowed, "BOY!"**

"Close enough." The twins said together. Severus could feel the headache coming on...if his child was _anything _like a Weasley or a Marauder he would blame it all on Harry.

** that Harry got slowly out of bed and headed for the bedroom door, pausing to add the piece of broken mirror to the rucksack filled with things he would be taking with him**.

"**You took you time!" roared Vernon Dursley when Harry appeared at the top of the stairs, "Get down here. I want a word!"**

** Harry strolled downstairs, his hands deep in his pants pockets. ** **When he searched the living room he found all three Dursleys. They were dressed for packing; Uncle Vernon in an old ripped-up jacket and Dudley, Harry's, large, blond, muscular cousin, in his leather jacket.**

The twins and Ron raised an eyebrow at Harry's term 'muscular'. Harry just shrugged. "Boxing worked well for him I guess."

"**Yes?" asked Harry.**

"**Sit down!" said Uncle Vernon. Harry raised his eyebrows. "Please!" added Uncle Vernon, wincing slightly as though the word was sharp in his throat.**

Severus' eyes narrowed.

** Harry sat. He thought he knew what was coming. His uncle began to pace up and down, Aunt Petunia and Dudley, following his movement with anxious expressions. Finally, his large purple face crumpled with concentration. Uncle Vernon stopped in front of Harry and spoke.**

** "I've changed my mind," he said.**

** "What a surprise," said Harry.**

Fred and George looked at Harry in shock while Severus rolled his eyes. He was used to sarcastic Harry. "Harry! Why didn't you tell us that you were so sarcastic?!" They asked together. "We could have had so much fun!"

"No thank you." Hermione said quickly. "Sarcastic Harry is kind of scary when he's mad." Ron nodded quickly even Severus couldn't help but nod along with the red head, causing the twins eyes to widen.

"Never mind then." If _Severus Snape_ found something scary, then they had a good enough reason to back away slowly. Harry pouted and leaned into Severus' chest as he continued to read.

** "Don't you take that tone—" began Aunt Petunia in a shrill voice, but Vernon Dursley waved her down.**

** "It's all a lot of claptrap," said Uncle Vernon, glaring at Harry with piggy little eyes. "I've decided I don't believe a word of it. We're staying put, we're not going anywhere."**

** Harry looked up at his uncle and felt a mixture of exasperation and amusement. Vernon Dursley had been changing his mind every twenty four hours for the past four weeks, packing and unpacking and repacking the car with every change of heart. **

** Harry's favorite moment had been the one when Uncle Vernon, unaware the Dudley had added his dumbbells to his case since the last time it been repacked, had attempted to hoist it back into the boot and collapsed with a yelp of pain and much swearing.**

There was chuckling and snickering around the room, but nothing made Harry's day quite like Severus' amused expression.

"**According to you," Vernon Dursley said, now resuming his pacing up and down the living room, "we – Petunia, Dudley, and I – are in danger. From – from –"**

"**Some of 'my lot' right?" said Harry.**

Hermione swelled indignantly. Severus was hit with the sudden memory of Lily, the Granger girl reminded him so much of her.

** "Well I don't believe it," repeated Uncle Vernon, coming to a halt in front of Harry again. "I was awake half the night thinking it all over, and I believe it's a plot to get the house."**

** "The house?" repeated Harry. "What house?"**

** "This house!" shrieked Uncle Vernon, the vein his forehead starting to pulse. "Our house! House prices are skyrocketing around here! You want us out of the way and then you're going to do a bit of hocus pocus and before we know it the deeds will be in your name and –"**

Ron raised an eyebrow, "This man is crazy."

Harry looked at his friend, his eyebrows reaching his hairline, "Have you _met_ my Uncle?"

** "Are you out of your mind?" demanded Harry. "A plot to get this house? Are you actually as stupid as you look?"**

"Apparently." Fred and George said together causing Harry to snicker.

** "Don't you dare -!" squealed Aunt Petunia, but again Vernon waved her down. Slights on his personal appearance were it seemed as nothing to the danger he had spotted.**

** "Just in case you've forgotten," said Harry, "I've already got a house. My godfather left me one. So why would I want this one? All the happy memories?"** **There was silence. Harry thought he had rather impressed his uncle with this argument.**

"I guess I have learned something from you." Harry said to Severus. The older man raised an eyebrow.

"And what would that be?" he asked

"The use of outstanding logic." Harry said causing Severus to smirk and kiss Harry's forehead. Hermione hid her smile as Ron and the twins paled, they had never seen their professor act...all _lovey_...ugh! They'd never get that image out of their heads!

Hermione had seen Fred's expression and her eyes narrowed. She swiftly elbowed her boyfriend in the gut and had her arms crossed over her chest in an instant as if to say '_You bloody well better leave them alone..._' Fred seemed to sober up in an instant.

** "You claim," said Uncle Vernon, starting to pace yet again, "that this Lord Thing –"**

** "—Voldemort," said Harry impatiently, "and we've been through this about a hundred times already. This isn't a claim, it's fact. Dumbledore told you last year, and Kingsley and Mr. Weasley –"**

** Vernon Dursley hunched his shoulders angrily, and Harry guessed that his uncle was attempting to ward off recollections of the unannounced visit, a few days into Harry's summer holidays, of two fully grown wizards. The arrival on the doorstep of Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley had come as a most unpleasant shock to the Dursleys. Harry had to admit, however that as Mr. Weasley had once demolished half of the living room, his reappearance could not have been expected to delight Uncle Vernon.**

Ron, Fred, George, and Harry all had a good laugh at that memory while Hermione and Severus watched with raised eyebrows.

** "—Kingsley and Mr. Weasley explained it all as well," Harry pressed on remorselessly, "Once I'm seventeen, the protective charm that keeps me safe will break, and that exposes you as well as me. The Order is sure Voldemort will target you, whether to torture you to try and find out where I am, or because he thinks by holding you hostage I'd come and try to rescue you."**

"You would." Everyone but Harry said. Harry just shrugged, he wasn't going to argue with that.

** Uncle Vernon's and Harry's eyes met. Harry was sure that in that instant they were both wondering the same thing. Then Uncle Vernon walked on and Harry resumed, "You've got to go into hiding and the Order wants to help. You're being offered serious protection, the best there is."**

** Uncle Vernon said nothing but continued to pace up and down. Outside the sun hung low over the privet hedges. The next door neighbor's lawn mower stalled again.**

** "I thought there was a Ministry of Magic?" asked Vernon Dursley abruptly.**

** "There is," said Harry, surprised.**

** "Well, then, why can't they protect us? It seems to me that, as innocent victims, guilty of nothing more than harboring a marked man, we ought to qualify for government protection!"**

** Harry laughed; he could not help himself. It was so very typical of his uncle to put his hopes in the establishment, even within this world that he despised and mistrusted.** **"You heard what Mr. Weasley and Kingsley said," Harry replied.** **"We think the Ministry has been infiltrated."**

"At that point it was." Severus admitted.

** Uncle Vernon strode back to the fireplace and back breathing so strongly that his great black mustache rippled his face still purple with concentration.** **"All right," he said. Stopping in front of Harry get again. "All right, let's say for the sake of argument we accept this protection. I still don't see why we can't have that Kingsley bloke."**

"He actually liked Kingsley?" Ron asked amazed.

"He didn't wear the earring when they met him." Harry said as an explanation. Ron then nodded in understanding, that made sense.

** Harry managed not to roll his eyes, but with difficulty. This question had also been addressed half a dozen times.** **"As I've told you," he said through gritted teeth, "Kingsley is protecting the Mug – I mean, your Prime Minister."**

"Not for long." The twins said in a sing-song voice. Harry couldn't help the amused look that crossed his face at that. It would be just like Kingsley to leave the Prime Minister to protect him.

** "Exactly – he's the best!" said Uncle Vernon, pointing at the blank television screen. The Dursleys had spotted Kingsley on the news, walking along the Muggle Prime Minister as he visited a hospital. This, and the fact that Kingsley had mastered the knack of dressing like a Muggle, not to mention a certain reassuring something in his slow, deep voice, had caused the Dursleys to take to Kingsley in a way that they had certainly not done with any other wizard, although it was true that they had never seen him with earring in.**

** "Well, he's taken," said Harry. "But Hestia Jones and Dedalus Diggle are more than up to the job –"**

"I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in that safe house." Hermione said, confusing the twins and Ron. "It's a muggle saying. I meant I would have loved to have been there to see how they all reacted to each other."

"Ohhh!" The purebloods said together.

** "If we'd even seen CVs…" began Uncle Vernon, but Harry lost patience. Getting to his feet, he advanced on his uncle, now pointing at the TV set himself.**

** "These accidents aren't accidents – the crashes and explosions and derailments and whatever else has happened since we last watched the news. People are disappearing and dying and he's behind it – Voldemort. I've told you this over and over again, he kills Muggles for fun. Even the fogs – they're caused by dementors, and if you can't remember what they are, ask your son!"**

** Dudley's hands jerked upward to tower his mouth. With his parents' and Harry's eyes upon him, he slowly lowered them again and asked, "There are… more of them?"**

** "More?" laughed Harry.**

"You're really creepy when you do that, mate." Ron said, shuddering slightly. Fred, George, and Hermione all nodded in agreement. Severus just watched the group with a raised eyebrow, he had never had the pleasure of seeing Harry in such a state. Harry just shrugged, he didn't mean to be.

** "More than the two that attacked us, you mean? Of course there are hundreds, maybe thousands by this time, seeing as they feed off fear and despair—"**

"Ron's got a point, Harry. You've got the whole creepy laugh and good persuasive speeches down pat." Hermione agreed.

** "All right, all right," blustered Vernon Dursley. "You've made your point –"**

** "I hope so," said Harry, "because once I'm seventeen, all of them – Death Eaters, Dementors, maybe even Inferi – which means dead bodies enchanted by a Dark wizard – will be able to find you and will certainly attack you. And if you remember the last time you tried to outrun wizards, I think you'll agree you need help."**

** There was a brief silence in which the distant echo of Hagrid smashing down a wooden front door seemed to reverberate through the intervening years.**

Severus raised an eyebrow, silently asking Harry what that was about. Harry shrugged, "He brought me my letter...I'll explain more after the book if you want."

** Aunt Petunia was looking at Uncle Vernon; Dudley was staring at Harry. Finally Uncle Vernon blurted out, "But what about my work? What about Dudley's school? I don't suppose those things matter to a bunch of layabout wizards –"**

** "Don't you understand?" shouted Harry. "They will torture and kill you like they did my parents!"**

There was silence in the room as Harry felt his eyes water, _damn hormones_ he mentally cursed. He hid his face in Severus' robes as he continued to read, the older man used his wandless magic to keep the book in front of him as he wrapped his arms around his lover.

** "Dad," said Dudley in a loud voice, "Dad – I'm going with these Order people."**

** "Dudley," said Harry, "for the first time in your life, you're talking sense."** **He knew the battle was won. If Dudley was frightened enough to accept the Order's help, his parents would accompany him. There could be no question of being separated from their Duddykins.**

** Harry glanced at the carriage clock on the mantelpiece.** **"They'll be here in about five minutes," he said, and when none of the Dursleys replied, he left the room. The prospect of parting—probably forever – from his aunt, uncle, and cousin was one that he was able to contemplate quite cheerfully but there was nevertheless a certain awkwardness in the air. What did you say to one another at the end of sixteen years' solid dislike?**

"Probably something along the lines of, 'good riddance'." George said with a wave of his hand. Harry couldn't help but chuckle at his expression.

** Back in his bedroom, Harry fiddled aimlessly with his rucksack then poked a couple of owl nuts through the bars of Hedwig's cage. They fell with dull thuds to the bottom where she ignored them.** **"We're leaving soon, really soon," Harry told her. "And then you'll be able to fly again."**

Harry frowned, he hated it that she was so mad at him so close to the end. Severus seemed to sense Harry's distress and kissed the younger man's forehead and rubbed his arm lovingly.

** The doorbell rang. Harry hesitated, then headed back out of his room and downstairs. It was too much to expect Hestia and Dedalus to cope with the Dursleys on their own.**

** "Harry Potter!" squeaked an excited voice, the moment Harry had opened the door; a small man in a mauve top hat that was sweeping him a deep bow. "An honor as ever!"**

Harry groaned as his friends and even Severus chuckled.

** "Thanks, Dedalus," said Harry, bestowing a small and embarrassed smile upon the dark haired Hestia. "It's really good of you to do this… They're through here, my aunt and uncle and cousin…"**

** "Good day to you, Harry Potter's relatives!" said Dedalus happily striding into the living room. **

"Oh Merlin, I bet they loved that." Ron said a smile on his face.

Harry smiled, "No. They didn't really appreciate it."

** The Dursleys did not look at all happy to be addressed thus; Harry half expected another change of mind. Dudley shrank neared to his mother at the sight of the witch and wizard.**

** "I see you are packed and ready. Excellent! The plan, as Harry has told you, is a simple one," said Dedalus, pulling an immense pocket watch out of his waistcoat and examining it. "We shall be leaving before Harry does. Due to the danger of using magic in your house –Harry being still underage it could provide the Ministry with an excuse to arrest him –we shall be driving, say, ten miles or so before Disapparating to the safe location we have picked out for you. You know how to drive, I take it?" He asked Uncle Vernon politely.**

"That," Severus said slowly, "Was probably not the brightest move."

** "Know how to –? Of course I ruddy well know how to drive!" spluttered Uncle Vernon.**

** "Very clever of you, sir, very clever. I personally would be utterly bamboozled by all those buttons and knobs," said Dedalus. He was clearly under the impression that he was flattering Vernon Dursley, who was visibly losing confidence in the plan with every word Dedalus spoke.**

There was some chuckling and snickering at that.

** "Can't even drive," he muttered under his breath, his mustache rippling indignantly, but fortunately neither Dedalus nor Hestia seemed to hear him.**

** "You, Harry," Dedalus continued, "will wait here for your guard. There has been a little change in the arrangements –"**

"**What d'you mean?" said Harry at once. "I thought Mad-Eye was going to come and take me by Side Along-Apparition?"**

"The ministry would have been able to track that while you were still underage." Severus explained. Harry nodded in understanding, Moody hadn't really explained that very well.

** "Can't do it," said Hestia tersely, "Mad-Eye will explain."**

** The Dursleys, who had listened to all of this with looks of utter incomprehension on their faces, jumped as a loud voice screeched, "Hurry up!" Harry looked all around the room before realizing the voice had issued from Dedalus's pocket watch.**

"Dursley must have loved that." Severus said under his breath making Harry smile.

** "Quite right, were operating to a very tight schedule," said Dedalus nodding at his watch and tucking it back into his waist coat. "We are attempting to time your departure from the house with your family's Disapparition, Harry thus the charm breaks the moment you all head for safety." He turned to the Dursleys, "Well, are we all packed and ready to go?"** **None of them answered him. Uncle Vernon was still staring appalled at the bulge in Dedalus's waistcoat pocket.**

** "Perhaps we should wait outside in the hall, Dedalus," murmured Hestia. She clearly felt that it would be tactless for them to remain the room while Harry and the Dursleys exchanged loving, possibly tearful farewells.**

"I should think not." Harry said quickly.

** "There's no need," Harry muttered, but Uncle Vernon made any further explanation unnecessary by saying loudly,**

** "Well, this is good-bye then boy."** **He swung his right arm upward to shake Harry's hand, but at the last moment seemed unable to face it, and merely closed his fist and began swinging it backward and forward like a metronome.**

Hermione had a look of utter disgust on her face.

** "Ready, Duddy?" asked Petunia, fussily checking the clasp of her handbag so as to avoid looking at Harry altogether.** **Dudley did not answer but stood there with his mouth slightly ajar, reminding Harry a little of the giant, Grawp.**

"Please do tell how you knew of Hagrid's half brother?" Severus asked, his usual eyebrow raised.

Harry shrugged, "In fifth year Hagrid knew he was going to be sacked so he asked Hermione and I to watch after him while he was gone."

Severus sighed, "And knowing you, you said yes." Harry nodded while Hermione made a face as if to say, of-course-it-was-Harry.

** "Come along, then," said Uncle Vernon.**

** He had already reached the living room door when Dudley mumbled, "I don't understand."**

** "What don't you understand, popkin?" asked Petunia looking up at her son.**

"Merlin, what's with her and nicknames?" Fred asked, exasperated.

"I have no idea." Harry admitted with a smirk, "I'm just glad she never had one for me."

** Dudley raised a large, ham-like hand to point at Harry.** **"Why isn't he coming with us?"**

** Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia froze when they stood staring at Dudley as though he had just expressed a desire to become a ballerina.**

"That," Fred said wincing slightly.

"Would be," George continued.

"Interesting." they finished together grimaces on their faces.

**"What?" said Uncle Vernon loudly.**

** "Why isn't he coming too?" asked Dudley.**

** "Well, he—doesn't want to," said Uncle Vernon, turning to glare at Harry and adding, "You don't want to, do you?"**

** "Not in the slightest," said Harry.**

** "There you are," Uncle Vernon told Dudley. "Now come on we're off."** **He marched out of the room. They heard the front door open, but Dudley did not move and after a few faltering steps Aunt Petunia stopped too.** **"What now?" barked Uncle Vernon, reappearing in the doorway.**

** It seemed that Dudley was struggling with concepts too difficult to put into words. After several moments of apparently painful internal struggle he said, "But where's he going to go?"** **Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon looked at each other. It was clear that Dudley was frightening them. Hestia Jones broke the silence.**

** "But… surely you know where your nephew is going?" she asked looking bewildered.**

"Nope." Harry said. "And I didn't want them to know. Knowing them they'd find a way to torture me from where ever they were." Everyone else frowned at Harry's words.

** "Certainly we know," said Vernon Dursley. "He's off with some of your lot, isn't he? Right, Dudley, let's get in the car, you heard the man, we're in a hurry."** **Again, Vernon Dursley marched as far as the front door, but Dudley did not follow.**

** "Off with some of our lot?"** **Hestia looked outraged. Harry had met this attitude before witches and wizards seemed stunned that his closest living relatives took so little interest in the famous Harry Potter.**

** "It's fine," Harry assured her. "It doesn't matter, honestly."**

** "Doesn't matter?" repeated Hestia, her voice rising considerably.** **"Don't these people realize what you've been through? What danger you are in? The unique position you hold in the hearts of the anti Voldemort movement?"**

"No pressure." Fred and George said together causing Hermione to slap them both.

"Can we get through this chapter, please?" She asked annoyed. Severus took this as his cue to read.

** "Er –no, they don't," said Harry. "They think I'm a waste of space, actually but I'm used to –"**

** "I don't think you're a waste of space"** **If Harry had not seen Dudley's lips move, he might not have believed it. As it was, he stared at Dudley for several seconds before accepting that it must have been his cousin who had spoken; for one thing, Dudley had turned red. Harry was embarrassed and astonished himself.**

** "Well... er… thanks, Dudley."**

** Again, Dudley appeared to grapple with thoughts too unwieldy for expression before mumbling, "You saved my life,"**

"Not really." Hermione said, "They just would have taken his soul. He'd still be alive...sort of."

** "Not really," said Harry. "It was your soul the dementor would have taken…"**

Ron snickered, "I always knew you two were alike..." Said friends turned to the red head with raised eyebrows, Ron shuddered and Severus continued on with an amused expression on his face. He never knew the 'Golden Trio' could be so entertaining.

** He looked curiously at his cousin. They had had virtually no contact during this summer or last, as Harry had come back to Privet Drive so briefly and kept to his room so much. It now dawned on Harry, however, that the cup of cold tea on which he had trodden that morning might not have been a booby trap at all. Although rather touched he was nevertheless quite relieved that Dudley appeared to have exhausted his ability to express his feelings. After opening his mouth once or twice more, Dudley subsided into scarlet-faced silence.**

** Aunt Petunia burst into tears. Hestia Jones gave her an approving look that changed to outrage as Aunt Petunia ran forward and embraced Dudley rather than Harry.** **"S-so sweet, Dudders…" she sobbed into his massive chest. "S-such a lovely b-boy… s-saying thank you…"**

Hermione's face turned a very Weasley red at that, "That woman! Dudley didn't do anything accept say that he didn't think Harry was a waste of space! Harry did all of the work! He saved your fat arse from those dementors!"

Everyone in the room stared at the usually calm witch with wide eyes. Even Severus couldn't help but stare, he had never heard the girl curse before. "Hermione..." Fred whispered, he was completely shocked.

The girl blushed some more, "Can...can you just keep reading, Professor?" The potions master shook himself out of his stupor and continued to read.

** "But he hasn't said thank you at all!" said Hestia indignantly. "He only said he didn't think Harry was a waste of space!"**

** "Yea but coming from Dudley that's like 'I love you,'" said Harry, torn between annoyance and a desire to laugh as Aunt Petunia continued to clutch at Dudley as if he had just saved Harry from a burning building.**

"Annoyance." Fred, George, Hermione, and Ron said together. Making Harry laugh slightly as Severus nodded in agreement.

** "Are we going or not?" roared Uncle Vernon, reappearing yet again at the living room door. "I thought we were on a tight schedule!"**

** "Yes –yes, we are," said Dedalus Diggle, who had been watching these exchanged with an air of bemusement and now seemed to pull himself together. "We really must be off. Harry –"** **He tripped forward and wrung Harry's hand with both of his own.** **"—good luck. I hope we meet again. The hopes of the Wizarding world rest upon your shoulders."**

"Yet,"

"Again,"

"No pressure."

** "Oh," said Harry, "right. Thanks."**

** "Farwell, Harry," said Hestia also clasping his hand. "Our thoughts go with you."**

** "I hope everything's okay," said Harry with a glance toward Aunt Petunia and Dudley.**

** "Oh I'm sure we shall end up the best of chums," said Diggle slightly,** **waving his hat as he left the room. Hestia followed him.**

"Wouldn't be too sure about that." Harry said with a roll of his eyes.

** Dudley gently released himself from his mother's clutches and walked toward Harry who had to repress an urge to threaten him with magic.**

Harry felt the need to defend himself as Hermione glared at him, "Old habits die hard, Mione. He made my life hell, so I defended myself by threatening magic! It was instinct." She seemed to calm after that.

**Then Dudley held out his large, pink hand.** **"Dunno," muttered Dudley, "See you, Harry."**

** "Yea …" said Harry, raking Dudley's hand and shaking it. "Maybe. Take care, Big D."**

** Dudley nearly smiled. They lumbered from the room. Harry heard his heavy footfalls on the graveled drive, and then a car door slammed.**

** Aunt Petunia whose face had been buried in her handkerchief looked around at the sound. She did not seem to have expected to find herself alone with Harry. Hastily stowing her wet handkerchief into her pocket, she said, "Well – good-bye" and marched towards the door without looking at him.**

** "Good-bye" said Harry.**

** She stopped and looked back. For a moment Harry had the strangest feeling that she wanted to say something to him; She gave him an odd, tremulous look and seemed to teeter on the edge of speech, but then, with a little of her head, she hustled out of the room after he husband and son.**

"I still wonder what she was going to say." Harry admitted thoughtfully. Severus turned the page and marked it.

"Who would like to read next?" he asked.

"That was a stupid question, Professor." Fred said, watching with amusement as Hermione levitated the book over to herself.


	2. Chapter 2-The Seven Potters

**Well that sucks...my first review was to tell me my story was reportable...even **_**if**_** parts of the books were to be changed. Just know that if this story **_**is**_** reported and taken down I will put it up on another site which will be posted on my account.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**I do not own Harry Potter...**

** "The Seven Potters" **Hermione read in a clear voice.

** Harry ran back upstairs to his bedroom, arriving at the window just in time to see the Dursleys' car swinging out of the drive and off up the road. Dedalus's top hat was visible between Aunt Petunia and Dudley in the backseat. The car turned right at the end of Privet Drive, its windows burned scarlet for a moment in the now setting sun, and then it was gone.**

The twins cheered and waved causing Severus to groan. What had he done to deserve this? This must be some sort of payback because of George's ear. Bloody hell, it wasn't his fault he missed! The twins just smirked when they saw their potions professor with his head in his hands.

** Harry picked up Hedwig's cage, his Firebolt, and his rucksack, gave his unnaturally tidy bedroom one last sweeping look, and then made his ungainly way back downstairs to the hall, where he deposited cage, broomstick, and bag near the foot of the stairs. The light was fading rapidly, the hall full of shadows in the evening light. It felt most strange to stand here in the silence and know that he was about to leave the house for the last time.**

** Long ago, when he had been left alone while the Dursleys went out to enjoy themselves, the hours of solitude had been a rare treat. Pausing only to sneak something tasty from the fridge, he had rushed upstairs to play on Dudley's computer, or put on the television and flicked through the channels to his heart's content. It gave him an odd, empty feeling remembering those times; it was like remembering a younger brother whom he had lost.**

** "Don't you want to take a last look at the place?" he asked Hedwig, who was still sulking with her head under her wing.** "**We'll never be here again. Don't you want to remember all the good times? I mean, look at this doormat. What memories … Dudley throw up on it after I saved him from the dementors … Turns out he was grateful after all, can you believe it? And last summer, Dumbledore walked through that front door … "**

"That must have been strange." Ron admitted with a slight chuckle.

"I'll say."

** Harry lost the thread of his thoughts for a moment and Hedwig did nothing to help him retrieve it, but continued to sit with her head under her wing. Harry turned his back on the front door.** "**And under here, Hedwig" – Harry pulled open a door under the stairs – "is where I used to sleep!**

There was utter silence in the room at that. Severus moved Harry so he could look the younger man in the eyes. "Why didn't you tell me, Harry?" he asked softly.

Harry shrugged, "It wasn't a big deal. And besides I thought you already knew. My Hogwarts letter was addressed to the 'Cupboard Under the Stairs'. And the fact that you were in my head all of fifth year."

Severus placed a hand on Harry's cheek, lovingly. "Harry, those are self-addressing quills. No one sees them. And while I might have been in your mind I never saw anything about how the Dursley's treated you or where you slept. You appear to have a small shield in place already...you keep everything about your home life hidden."

"You should have told us, mate." Ron said softly, not really wanting to break the moment. "We could have gone to Dumbledore or something."

"No. It was better that I stay there. As much as it wasn't fair or as much as I was mistreated it helped me in the long run. I _never _want our child to go through what I did." Harry said firmly, the last bit addressed to Severus.

The older man nodded, "They'll never have to go through that, Harry. I promise you that." Harry nodded, leaning back on Severus' shoulder as Hermione continued to read.

** You never knew me then – Blimey, it's small, I'd forgotten … "**

** Harry looked around at the stacked shoes and umbrellas remembering how he used to wake every morning looking up at the underside of the staircase, which was more often than not adorned with a spider or two.**

Ron shuddered as Severus' eyes narrowed as he described the cupboard.

** T hose had been the days before he had known anything about his true identity; before he had found out how his parents had died or why such strange things often happened around him. But Harry could still remember the dreams that had dogged him, even in those days: confused dreams involving flashes of green light and once – Uncle Vernon had nearly crashed the car when Harry had recounted it – a flying motorbike …**

Hermione looked at Harry sadly. "Drop it, Mione. It's in the past. I'm over it, I just want to move on and live my life to the fullest." the witch nodded and continued to read.

** There was a sudden, deafening roar from somewhere nearby. Harry straightened up with a jerk and smacked the top of his head on the low door frame. Pausing only to employ a few of Uncle Vernon's choicest swear words, he staggered back into the kitchen, clutching his head and staring out of the window into the back garden.**

Hermione glared at Harry for language but said nothing as she continued on, for which Harry was thankful.

** The darkness seemed to be rippling, the air itself quivering. Then, one by one, figures began to pop into sight as their Disillusionment Charms lifted. Dominating the scene was Hagrid, wearing a helmet and goggles and sitting astride an enormous motorbike with a black sidecar attached. **

Harry sighed sadly, he missed his godfather to this day. Even if he was sure that he wouldn't approve of Sev.

** All around him other people were dismounting from brooms and, in two cases, skeletal, black winged horses.** **Wrenching open the back door, Harry hurtled into their midst. There was a general cry of greeting as Hermione flung her arms around him, Ron clapped him on the back, and Hagrid said, "All righ', Harry? Ready fer the off?"**

"**Definitely," said Harry, beaming around at them all. "But I wasn't expecting this many of you!"**

"**Change of plan," growled Mad-Eye, who was holding two enormous bulging sacks, and whose magical eye was spinning from darkening sky to house to garden with dizzying rapidity. "Let's get undercover before we talk you through it."**

Severus was silently glad that Alastor was one of the people who had helped protect Harry. His paranoia was welcomed in his case.

** Harry led them all back into the kitchen where, laughing and chattering, they settled on chairs, sat themselves upon Aunt Petunia's gleaming work surfaces, or leaned up against her spotless appliances; Ron, long and lanky;**

Ron glared playfully at his best friend as Harry smiled sheepishly.

** Hermione, her bushy hair tied back in a long plait;**

Hermione pouted, "My hair isn't that bushy anymore."

** Fred and George, grinning identically;**

Said twins smirked again, though you could tell them apart this time due to George's missing ear.

** Bill, badly scarred and long-haired; Mr. Weasley, kind-faced, balding, his spectacles a little awry; Mad-Eye, battle-worn, one-legged, his bright blue magical eye whizzing in its socket; Tonks, whose short hair was her favorite shade of bright pink; Lupin, grayer, more lined; Fleur, slender and beautiful, with her long silvery blonde hair; Kingsley, bald and broad-shouldered; Hagrid, with his wild hair and beard, standing hunchbacked to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling; and Mundungus Fletcher, small, dirty, and hangdog, with his droopy beady hound's eyes and matted hair. **

"Sweet Merlin, I knew it was your incredible luck that kept you alive." Severus teased, "Some of these people couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag."

Harry frowned, "That's not true...except maybe Mundungus."

** Harry's heart seemed to expand and glow at the sight: He felt incredibly fond of all of them, even Mundungus, whom he had tried to strangle the last time they had met.** "**Kingsley, I thought you were looking after the Muggle Prime Minister?" he called across the room.**

"**He can get along without me for one night," said Kingsley, "You're more important."**

The twins grinned, "We told you so."

"**Harry, guess what?" said Tonks from her perch on top of the washing machine, and she wiggled her left hand at him; a ring glistened there.**

"**You got married?" Harry yelped, looking from her to Lupin.**

"**I'm sorry you couldn't be there, Harry, it was very quiet."**

Harry frowned, he hadn't been to see Teddy in awhile. He began to feel the tears in his eyes again as he realized that Tonks and Remus didn't _nearly_ have enough time together before their deaths.

"**That's brilliant, congrat –"**

"**All right, all right, we'll have time for a cozy catch-up later," roared Moody over the hubbub, and silence fell in the kitchen. Moody dropped his sacks at his feet and turned to Harry. "As Dedalus probably told you, we had to abandon Plan A. Pius Thicknesse has gone over, which gives us a big problem. He's made it an imprisonable offense to connect this house to the Floo Network, place a Portkey here, or Apparate in or out. All done in the name of your protection, to prevent You-Know-Who getting in at you. Absolutely pointless, seeing as your mother's charm does that already. What he's really done is to stop you getting out of here safely. Second problem: You're underage, which means you've still got the Trace on you."**

"Considering you grew up not knowing about magic, that was not the smartest thing to say without explaining it." Severus said thoughtfully.

"**I don't –"**

** "The Trace, the Trace!" said Mad-Eye impatiently. "The charm that detects magical activity around under-seventeens, the way the Ministry finds out about underage magic! If you, or anyone around you, casts a spell to get you out of here, Thicknesse is going to know about it, and so will the Death Eaters. We can't wait for the Trace to break, because the moment you turn seventeen you'll lose all the protection your mother gave you. In short, Pius Thicknesse thinks he's got you cornered good and proper."**

** Harry could not help but agree with the unknown Thicknesse.** "**So what are we going to do?"**

"You're such a pessimist, Harry." Hermione said with a slight grin.

"**We're going to use the only means of transport left to us, the only ones the Trace can't detect, because we don't need to cast spells to use them: brooms, thestrals, and Hagrid's motorbike."**

** Harry could see flaws in this plan; however, he held his tongue to give Mad-Eye the chance to address them.**

"The Great Harry Potter holding his tongue. That must be a first." Severus deadpanned. Harry just stuck his tongue out at him. "My point exactly." The Weasley twins roared with laughter at that as Harry turned beat red.

"**Now, your mother's charm will only break under two conditions: when you come of age, or" – Moody gestured around the pristine kitchen – "you no longer call this place home. You and your aunt and uncle are going your separate ways tonight, in the full understanding that you're never going to live together again, correct?"**

** Harry nodded.**

"**So this time, when you leave, there'll be no going back, and the charm will break the moment you get outside its range. We're choosing to break it early, because the alternative is waiting for You-Know-Who to come and seize you the moment you turn seventeen. The one thing we've got on our side is that You-Know-Who doesn't know we're moving you tonight. We've leaked a fake trail to the Ministry: They think you're not leaving until the thirtieth.**

Severus flinched, he hated giving Voldemort that information. But if he wanted to protect Harry from within the ranks he needed to give a little bit of good information to receive good information. Harry seemed to understand Severus' distress and kissing him lightly on the cheek before putting his head back on his shoulder.

** However, this is You-Know-Who we're dealing with, so we can't rely on him getting the date wrong; he's bound to have a couple of Death Eaters patrolling the skies in this general area, just in case. So, we've given a dozen different houses every protection we can throw at them. They all look like they could be the place we're going to hide you, they've all got some connection with the Order: my house, Kingsley's place, Molly's Auntie Muriel's – you get the idea."**

"**Yeah," said Harry, not entirely truthfully, because he could still spot a gaping hole in the plan.**

"Of course you can." Ron said, rolling his eyes.

**You'll be going to Tonks's parents. Once you're within the boundaries of the protective enchantments we've put on their house you'll be able to use a Portkey to the Burrow. Any questions?"**

"**Er – yes," said Harry. "Maybe they won't know which of the twelve secure houses I'm heading for at first, but won't it be sort of obvious once" – he performed a quick headcount – "fourteen of us fly off toward Tonks's parents?"**

"**Ah," said Moody, "I forgot to mention the key point. Fourteen of us won't be flying to Tonks's parents There will be seven Harry Potters moving through the skies tonight, each of them with a companion, each pair heading for a different safe house."** **From inside his cloak Moody now withdrew a flask of what looked like mud. There was no need for him to say another word; Harry understood the rest of the plan immediately.**

"**No!" he said loudly, his voice ringing through the kitchen. "No way!"**

"**I told them you'd take it like this," said Hermione with a hint of complacency.**

** "If you think I'm going to let six people risk their lives - !"**

"—**because it's the first time for all of us," said Ron.**

"**This is different, pretending to be me –"**

** "Well, none of us really fancy it, Harry," said Fred earnestly. "Imagine if something went wrong and we were stuck as specky, scrawny gits forever."**

Severus turned to glare at the Weasley twin with both ears intact. Fred tried to suppress his shudder as a wave of terror washed over him. He then, quickly motioned for Hermione to read. Hermione giggled as she continued on.

** Harry did not smile.** "**You can't do it if I don't cooperate, you need me to give you some hair."**

"**Well, that's the plan scuppered," said George. "Obviously there's no chance at all of us getting a bit of your hair unless you cooperate."**

"**Yeah, thirteen of us against one bloke who's not allowed to use magic; we've got no chance," said Fred.**

"If you touch one hair on his head without his consent you will be scrubbing cauldrons until you leave here..._if_ you leave here." Severus threatened. The twins paled and tried to blend into the couch behind them.

"Sev, leave them alone. They didn't do anything to me." Harry said, his tone slightly amused. Severus backed down, albeit grudgingly.

** "Funny," said Harry, "really amusing."**

"**If it has to come to force, then it will," growled Moody, his magical eye now quivering a little in its socket as he glared at Harry. "Everyone here's overage, Potter, and they're all prepared to take the risk."** **Mundungus shrugged and grimaced; the magical eye swerved sideways to glance at him out of the side of Moody's head.** "**Let's have no more arguments. Time's wearing on. I want a few of your hairs, boy, now."**

"**But this is mad, there's no need –"**

** "No need!" snarled Moody. "With You-Know-Who out there and half the Ministry on his side? Potter, if we're lucky he'll have swallowed the fake bait and he'll be planning to ambush you on the thirtieth, but he'd be mad not to have a Death Eater or two keeping an eye out, it's what I'd do. They might not be able to get at you or this house while your mother's charm holds, but it's about to break and they know the rough position of the place. Our only chance is to use decoys. Even You-Know-Who can't split himself into seven."**

** Harry caught Hermione's eye and looked away at once.**

Fred and George hadn't caught that the first time around and were now glancing at the two. Severus on the other hand was about to blow. "Seven?! He made bloody seven?"

"Shhh! It's alright Sev. We got them all. Just listen, I'm right here, so is our baby." Harry said, trying to calm the man. Harry took Severus' hand and placed it on his swollen belly. "See. We're alright and he's gone." Hermione continued to read as Harry kept Severus calm.

"**So, Potter – some of your hair, if you please."** **Harry glanced at Ron, who grimaced at him in a just-do-it sort of way.** "**Now!" barked Moody.**

** With all of their eyes upon him, Harry reached up to the top of his head, grabbed a hank of hair, and pulled.**

"**Good," said Moody, limping forward as he pulled the stopper out of the flask of potion. "Straight in here, if you please."**

** Harry dropped the hair into the mudlike liquid. The moment it made contact with its surface, the potion began to froth and smoke, then, all at once, it turned a clear, bright gold.**

Severus seemed slightly shocked at that. "Bloody hell, Harry. You don't do things half-way do you?"

Harry was completely confused, "What?"

Severus kissed his head lovingly, "Nothing, love, just, according to the polyjuice potion you are entirely pure of heart." Harry blushed as his friends looked at him in shock. No one was _ever_ completely pure of heart. The closest anyone had ever gotten was a dull gold color.

"**Ooh, you look much tastier than Crabbe and Goyle, Harry," said Hermione, before catching sight of Ron's raised eyebrows, blushing slightly, and saying, "Oh, you know what I mean – Goyle's potion tasted like bogies."**

"And when was it, may I ask, that you tasted polyjuice potion?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow.

Harry inwardly began to panic, he hadn't told Severus about them stealing from his stores in second year. "We'll explain it later if you really want to know."

"**Right then, fake Potters line up over here, please," said Moody.**

** Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Fleur lined up in front of Aunt Petunia's gleaming sink.**

"**We're one short," said Lupin.**

"**Here," said Hagrid gruffly, and he lifted Mundungus by the scruff of the neck and dropped him down beside Fleur, who wrinkled her nose pointedly and moved along to stand between Fred and George instead.**

"Smart girl." Severus said, approval evident in his voice. He still loathed Mundungus after he endangered Harry during this.

"**I said, I'd sooner be a protector," said Mundungus.**

"If what he did to Moody is any indicator," George started.

"He's not brave enough." Fred continued.

"**Shut it," growled Moody. "As I've already told you, you spineless worm, any Death Eaters we run into will be aiming to capture Potter, not kill him. Dumbledore always said You-Know-Who would want to finish Potter in person. It'll be the protectors who have got the most to worry about, the Death Eaters'll want to kill them."**

"Don't think that helped with anyone's confidence." George admitted, looking thoughtful.

** Mundungus did not look particularly reassured, but Moody was already pulling half a dozen eggcup-sized glasses from inside his cloak, which he handed out, before pouring a little Polyjuice Potion into each one.**

"**Altogether, then … "**

** Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Fleur, and Mundungus drank. All of them gasped and grimaced as the potion hit their throats; At once, their features began to bubble and distort like hot wax. Hermione and Mundungus were shooting upward; Ron, Fred, and George were shrinking; their hair was darkening, Hermione's and Fleur's appearing to shoot backward into their skulls.**

** Moody, quite unconcerned, was now loosening the ties of the large sacks he had brought with him. When he straightened up again, there were six Harry Potters gasping and panting in front of him.**

** Fred and George turned to each other and said together, "Wow – we're identical!"**

"Very funny." Harry said, his tone dry. "Ha. Ha. Ha."

Fred and George frowned, "You let the Slytherin get to you." They accused.

"Absolutely." Harry deadpanned. "Even though I'm a snake in the lion's den."

All of the Gryffindors in the room looked at him in shock. The twins then broke out into laughter. "Don't worry. We are too!"

Hermione blushed, "I was supposed to be in Ravenclaw." Hermione admitted.

"So am I the only Gryffindor through and through?" Ron asked a grin on his face.

"Looks like it, mate." Harry said with a grin. He was amused by Severus' look of horror. He nearly had the Weasley twins in his house...he couldn't believe it. "I think you broke him." Harry said, frowning. "Great...thanks Fred...George."

"No problem."

"**I dunno, though, I think I'm still better-looking," said Fred, examining his reflection in the kettle.**

"**Bah," said Fleur, checking herself in the microwave door, "Bill, don't look at me – I'm 'ideous."**

Harry frowned again. "Don't listen to her, Harry. She is a Veela, she lives off of her own looks." Severus whispered into Harry's ear, when he broke out of his stupor.

"**Those whose clothes are a bit roomy, I've got smaller here," said Moody, indicating the first sack, "and vice versa. Don't forget the glasses, there's six pairs in the side pocket. And when you're dressed, there's luggage in the other sack."**

** The real Harry thought that this might just be the most bizarre thing he had ever seen, and he had seen some extremely odd things. He watched as his six doppelgangers rummaged in the sacks, pulling out sets of clothes, putting on glasses, stuffing their own things away. He felt like asking them to show a little more respect for privacy as they all began stripping off with impunity, clearly more at ease with displaying his body than they would have been with their own.**

Severus raised an eyebrow, they had better not have looked at anything that wasn't theirs to look at.

"**I knew Ginny was lying about that tattoo," said Ron, looking down at his bare chest. Harry silently wondered how Ginny would know anything about his chest. The only one who had seen his chest had been-**

"Would you like to finish that thought, Mr. Potter?" Severus asked, amused at Harry's obvious embarrassment. Fred and George snickered into their hands as Hermione and Ron just smiled. They were happy that Harry had found happiness, even if it was with their potions professor.

"**Harry, your eyesight really is awful," Hermione said, interrupting his thoughts, as she put on glasses.**

"Thanks Hermione." The twins grumbled.

Hermione just raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "And why would you say that, Fred."

Fred clearly knew saying something would be bad but George, always willing to get his brother in trouble, was already speaking. "We wanted to hear what Harry was thinking!" He complained.

Hermione ignored him as she continued to read. Fred was making faces at him brother, clearly ready to kill him.

** Once dressed, the fake Harrys took rucksacks and owl cages, each containing a stuffed snowy owl, from the second sack.**

"**Good," said Moody, as at last seven dressed, bespectacled, and luggage-laden Harrys faced him. "The pairs will be as follows: Mundungus will be traveling with me, by broom –"**

"**Why'm I with you?" grunted the Harry nearest the back door.**

"**Because you're the one that needs watching," growled Moody, and sure enough, his magical eye did not waver from Mundungus as he continued, "Arthur and Fred –"**

"**I'm George," said the twin at whom Moody was pointing. "Can't you even tell us apart when we're Harry?"**

"Actually, he can. Considering he was right the first time." Harry said, making Fred pout as Hermione smirked at her brother-like figure.

"**Sorry, George –"**

"**I'm only yanking your wand, I'm Fred really –"**

"**Enough messing around!" snarled Moody. "The other one – George or Fred or whoever you are – you're with Remus. Miss Delacour –"**

"**I'm taking Fleur on a thestral," said Bill. "She's not that fond of brooms."** **Fleur walked over to stand beside him, giving him a soppy, slavish look that Harry hoped with all his heart would never appear on his face again.**

Hermione refused to look Harry in the eye, as did Ron and the twins. Harry groaned. "When?"

"Every time Professor Snape walks into a room." Fred said choking slightly on his laughter. Severus on the other hand kissed Harry's neck, making his shudder.

"I happen to find it very attractive." Harry suddenly didn't mind the look anymore.

"**Miss Granger with Kingsley, again by thestral –"** **Hermione looked reassured as she answered Kingsley's smile; Harry knew that Hermione too lacked confidence on a broomstick.**

Hermione took the time to glare at him before continuing to read.

** "Which leaves you and me, Ron!" said Tonks brightly, knocking over a mug tree as she waved at him.** **Ron did not look quite as pleased as Hermione.**

"Aww! Is ickle Ronniekins not pleased?" George asked in a baby-like voice.

Ron turned bright red, "I was worried about Remus! Don't tell me you wouldn't be terrified for your life when you get on a broom with a man's wife...especially when that man can turn into a werewolf one day out of every month." No one said anything about that, he had a point.

"**An' you're with me, Harry. That all righ'?" said Hagrid, looking a little anxious. "We'll be on the bike, brooms an' thestrals can't take me weight, see. Not a lot o' room on the seat with me on it, though, so you'll be in the sidecar."**

"**That's great," said Harry, not feeling as confident.**

"**We think the Death Eaters will expect you to be on a broom," said Moody, who seemed to guess how Harry was feeling. "Snape's had plenty of time to tell them everything about you he's never mentioned before,**

"I did not tell him anything, unless he asked for it. Even then I edited." Severus admitted with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

** so if we do run into any Death Eaters, we're betting they'll choose one of the Potters who looks at home on a broomstick. All right then," he went on, tying up the sack with the fake Potters' clothes in it and leading the way back to the door, "I make it three minutes until we're supposed to leave. No point locking the back door, it won't keep the Death Eaters out when they come looking. Come on …"**

** Harry hurried to gather his rucksack, Firebolt, and Hedwig's cage and followed the group to the dark back garden.** **On every side broomsticks were leaping into hands; Hermione had already been helped up onto a great black thestral by Kingsley, Fleur onto the other by Bill. Hagrid was standing ready beside the motorbike, goggles on.**

"**Is this it? Is this Sirius's bike?"**

Harry felt his heart hammer a little harder at the memory of his dead godfather talking about his bike.

"**The very same," said Hagrid, beaming down at Harry. "An' the last time yeh was on it, Harry, I could fit yeh in one hand!"**

"Awww!" Hermione cooed as Harry blushed at the reminder.

** Harry could not help but feel a little humiliated as he got into the sidecar. It placed him several feet below everybody else: Ron smirked at the sight of him sitting there like a child in a bumper car. **

If Severus weren't in the room Harry would have had a few choice words with his best mate. Ron seemed to realize this and smirked in his direction.

** Harry stuffed his rucksack and broomstick down by his feet and rammed Hedwig's cage between his knees. He was extremely uncomfortable.**

Severus frowned, "It may not be the best thing to be seated like that during an attack."

Harry rolled his eyes, "If I'd had any idea that we were going to be attacked I would have found another way to transport Hedwig and my stuff. It's easier to fight without all of that stuff."

** "Arthur's done a bit o' tinkerin'," said Hagrid, quite oblivious to Harry's discomfort. He settled himself astride the motorcycle, which creaked slightly and sank inches into the ground. "It's got a few tricks up its sleeves now. Tha' one was my idea." He pointed a thick finger at a purple button near the speedometer.**

** "Please be careful, Hagrid." said Mr. Weasley, who was standing beside them, holding his broomstick. "I'm still not sure that was advisable and it's certainly only to be used in emergencies."**

** "All right, then." said Moody. "Everyone ready, please. I want us all to leave at exactly the same time or the whole point of the diversion's lost."**

** "Hold tight now, Ron," said Tonks, and Harry saw Ron throw a forcing, guilty look at Lupin before placing his hands on each side of her waist. **

There was laughter at that, especially when Ron's face turned a bright red.

** Hagrid kicked the motorbike into life: It roared like a dragon, and the sidecar began to vibrate.**

"**Good luck, everyone," shouted Moody. "See you all in about an hour at the Burrow. On the count of three. One … two .. THREE."**

** There was a great roar from the motorbike, and Harry felt the sidecar give a nasty lurch. He was rising through the air fast, his eyes watering slightly, hair whipped back off his face. Around him brooms were soaring upward too; the long black tail of a thestral flicked past. His legs, jammed into the sidecar by Hedwig's cage and his rucksack, were already sore and starting to go numb. So great was his discomfort that he almost forgot to take a last glimpse of number four Privet Drive. By the time he looked over the edge of the sidecar he could no longer tell which one it was.**

** And then, out of nowhere, out of nothing, they were surrounded. **

Severus tensed behind Harry. The younger man just kissed his shoulder as if a reminder that he was there and alright.

** At least thirty hooded figures, suspended in midair, formed a vast circle in the middle of which the Order members had risen, oblivious to the screams, a blaze of green light on every side: Hagrid gave a yell and the motorbike rolled over. Harry lost any sense of where they were. Streetlights above him, yells around him, he was clinging to the sidecar for dear life. Hedwig's cage, the Firebolt, and his rucksack slipped from beneath his knees –** **"No – HELP!"**

** The broomstick spun too, but he just managed to seize the strap of his rucksack and the top of the cage as the motorbike swung the right way up again. A second's relief, and then another burst of green light. The owl screeched and fell to the floor of the cage.**

Harry felt the tears run down his face, he was never given the time to mourn for his first friend and now the hormones running through his body were making it worse. Severus seemed to realize this and wrapped his arms around him and buried his face in the younger man's messy hair.

Fred, George, Ron, and Hermione just watched sadly as their normally strong friend fell apart in their potions professors arms. Hermione wiped her own tears from her eyes and continued to read.

** "No – NO!"**

** The motorbike zoomed forward; Harry glimpsed hooded Death Eaters scattering as Hagrid blasted through their circle.** **"Hedwig – Hedwig –"**

** But the owl lay motionless and pathetic as a toy on the floor of her cage. He could not take it in, and his terror for the others was paramount. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a mass of people moving, flares of green light, two pairs of people on brooms soaring off into the distance, but he could not tell who they were –** **"Hagrid, we've got to go back, we've got to go back!" he yelled over the thunderous roar of the engine, pulling out his wand, ramming Hedwig's cage into the floor, refusing to believe that she was dead. "Hagrid, TURN AROUND!"**

"No." Severus said breaking from Harry. "His job is to make sure you get there safely. Not bring you straight into the fight."

** "My job's ter get you there safe, Harry!" bellow Hagrid, and he opened the throttle.**

Severus nodded in agreement with the half-giant. Something he rarely ever did. Harry seemed to notice this and his crying slowed.

** "Stop – STOP!" Harry shouted, but as he looked back again two jets of green light flew past his left ear: Four Death Eaters had broken away from the circle and were pursuing them, aiming for Hagrid's broad back. Hagrid swerved, but the Death Eaters were keeping up with the bike; more curses shot after them, and Harry had to sink low into the sidecar to avoid them. Wriggling around he cried, "Stupefy!" and a red bolt of light shot from his own wand, cleaving a gap between the four pursuing Death Eaters as they scattered to avoid it.**

** "Hold on, Harry, this'll do for 'em!" roared Hagrid, and Harry looked up just in time to see Hagrid slamming a thick finger into a green button near the fuel gauge.** **A wall, a solid black wall, erupted out of the exhaust pipe. Craning his neck, Harry saw it expand into being in midair. **

"Sweet." The twins said together, wide grins on their faces.

"Dad is amazing." Ron admitted a smile adorning his freckled face.

** Three of the Death Eaters swerved and avoided it, but the fourth was not so lucky; He vanished from view and then dropped like a boulder from behind it, his broomstick broken into pieces. One of his fellows slowed up to save him, but they and the airborne wall were swallowed by darkness as Hagrid leaned low over the handlebars and sped up.**

** More Killing Curses flew past Harry's head from the two remaining Death Eaters' wands; they were aiming for Hagrid. Harry responded with further Stunning Spells: Red and green collided in midair in a shower of multicolored sparks, and Harry thought wildly of fireworks, and the Muggles below who would have no idea what was happening.**

"Focus, Potter." Severus gritted out, totally into the story now. Harry couldn't help but give a watery chuckle at that. Severus only used his last name when he was stressed over something.

** "Here we go again, Harry, hold on!" yelled Hagrid, and he jabbed at a second button. This time a great net burst from the bike's exhaust, but the Death Eaters were ready for it. Not only did they swerve to avoid it, but the companion who had slowed to save their unconscious friend had caught up. He bloomed suddenly out of the darkness and now three of them were pursuing the motorbike, all shooting curses after it.**

** "This'll do it, Harry, hold on tight!" yelled Hagrid, and Harry saw him slam his whole hand onto the purple button beside the speedometer.**

** With an unmistakable bellowing roar, dragon fire burst from the exhaust, white-hot and blue, and the motorbike shot forward like a bullet with a sound of wrenching metal. Harry saw the Death Eaters swerve out of sight to avoid the deadly trail of flame, and at the same time felt the sidecar sway ominously: Its metal connections to the bike had splintered with the force of acceleration.**

"Bloody hell." Ron said, paling drastically. Severus' arms tightened around Harry's waist.

** "It's all righ', Harry!" bellowed Hagrid, now thrown flat onto the back by the surge of speed; nobody was steering now, and the sidecar was starting to twist violently in the bike's slipstream.**

** "I'm on it, Harry, don' worry!" Hagrid yelled, and from inside his jacket pocket he pulled his flowery pink umbrella.**

** "Hagrid! No! Let me!"**

** "REPARO!"**

"Damnit!" Severus exclaimed, much to the shock of the room. Hermione, recognizing her Professors discomfort continued to read, earning her a thankful glance from him.

**There was a deafening bang and the sidecar broke away from the bike completely. ** **Harry sped forward, propelled by the impetus of the bike's flight, then the sidecar began to lose height –In desperation Harry pointed his wand at the sidecar and shouted, "Wingardium Leviosa!"**

There was a sigh of relief throughout the room.

** The sidecar rose like a cork, unsteerable but at least still airborne. He had but a split second's relief, however, as more curses streaked past him: The three Death Eaters were closing in.**

The room became tense again at the thought of Harry being captured by Death Eaters that early on in the war.

** "I'm comin', Harry!" Hagrid yelled from out of the darkness, but Harry could feel the sidecar beginning to sink again: Crouching as low as he could, he pointed at the middle of the oncoming figures and yelled, "Impedimenta!"**

** The jinx hit the middle Death Eater in the chest; For a moment the man was absurdly spread-eagled in midair as though he had hit an invisible barrier: One of his fellows almost collided with him –Then the sidecar began to fall in earnest, and the remaining Death Eater shot a curse so close to Harry that he had to duck below the rim of the car, knocking out a tooth on the edge of his seat –**

** "I'm comin', Harry, I'm comin'!"**

** A huge hand seized the back of Harry's robes and hoisted him out of the plummeting sidecar; Harry pulled his rucksack with him as he dragged himself onto the motorbike's seat and found himself back-to-back with Hagrid. **

** As they soared upward, away from the two remaining Death Eaters, Harry spat blood out of his mouth, pointed his wand at the falling sidecar, and yelled, "Confringo!"**

** He knew a dreadful, gut-wrenching pang for Hedwig as it exploded;**

Harry had the same feeling remembering that moment. He sighed sadly and continued to listen to Hermione's calm voice reading.

** the Death Eater nearest it was blasted off his broom and fell from sight; his companion fell back and vanished.**

** "Harry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," moaned Hagrid, "I shouldn'ta tried ter repair it meself – yeh've got no room –"**

** "It's not a problem, just keep flying!" Harry shouted back, as two more Death Eaters emerged out of the darkness, drawing closer.**

** As the curses came shooting across the intervening space again, Hagrid swerved and zigzagged: Harry knew that Hagrid did not dare use the dragon-fire button again, with Harry seated so insecurely. Harry sent Stunning Spell after Stunning Spell back at their pursuers, barely holding them off. He shot another blocking jinx at them: The closest Death Eater swerved to avoid it and his hood slipped, and by the red light of his next Stunning Spell, Harry saw the strangely blank face of Stanley Shunpike – Stan –**

** "Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled.**

Severus groaned. "Not you too." Harry said to the man. "I won't kill someone who doesn't deserve it. That was Voldemorts job."

Severus kissed Harry's neck, "And it's one of the reasons I love you." Hermione came dangerously close to cooing so she continued to read instead.

** "That's him, it's him, it's the real one!"** **The hooded Death Eater's shout reached Harry even above the thunder of the motorbike's engine: Next moment, both pursuers had fallen back and disappeared from view.**

** "Harry, what's happened?" bellowed Hagrid. "Where've they gone?"**

** "I don't know!"** **But Harry was afraid:**

"That's not good." Fred said with a frown.

"Harry's never afraid." George continued, the same frown on his face. Ron and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Except for when he was telling Professor Snape he was pregnant." Hermione said thoughtfully.

Ron nodded in agreement, "He was absolutely terrified." Severus glanced at Harry amused at that but Harry blushed and snuggled closer to his lover.

** The hooded Death Eater had shouted, "It's the real one!"; how had he known? He gazed around at the apparently empty darkness and felt its menace. Where were they?** **He clambered around on the seat to face forward and seized hold of the back of Hagrid's jacket.**

** "Hagrid, do the dragon-fire thing again, let's get out of here!"**

** "Hold on tight, then, Harry!"**

** There was a deafening, screeching roar again and the white-blue fire shot from the exhaust: Harry felt himself slipping backwards off what little of the seat he had. Hagrid flung backward upon him, barely maintaining his grip on the handlebars.**

** "I think we've lost 'em Harry, I think we've done it!" yelled Hagrid.**

** But Harry was not convinced; Fear lapped at him as he looked left and right for pursuers he was sure would come. . . . Why had they fallen back? One of them had still had a wand. . . . It's him. . . it's the real one. . . . They had said it right after he had tried to Disarm Stan. . . .**

** "We're nearly there, Harry, we've nearly made it!" shouted Hagrid.**

** Harry felt the bike drop a little, though the lights down on the ground still seemed remote as stars.** **Then the scar on his forehead burned like fire: as a Death Eater appeared on either side of the bike, two Killing Curses missed Harry by millimeters, cast from behind –** **And then Harry saw him. Voldemort was flying like smoke on the wind, without broomstick or thestral to hold him, his snake-like face gleaming out of the blackness, his white fingers raising his wand again.**

"I had been keeping my eye on him and he just disappeared. You'll never know how worried I was in that instant. That's when I hit George...sorry by the way." Severus admitted.

George frowned, "Now that I know the full story I can't really blame you." The earless twin tried to imagine looking out for the one you loved by keeping your eyes on the bastard trying to kill him/her and then suddenly losing sight of them...that had to be one of the scariest moments of his life...

** Hagrid let out a bellow of fear and steered the motorbike into a vertical dive. Clinging on for dear life, Harry sent Stunning Spells flying at random into the whirling night. He saw a body fly past him and knew he had hit one of them, but then he heard a bang and saw sparks from the engine; the motorbike spiraled through the air, completely out of control.**

The air in the room became tense again.

** Green jets of light shot past them again. Harry had no idea which way was up, which down: His scar was still burning; he expected to die at any second. A hooded figure on a broomstick was feet from him, he saw it raise its arm –**

** "NO!"**

** With a shout of fury Hagrid launched himself off the bike at the Death Eater; to his horror, Harry saw both Hagrid and the Death Eater, falling out of sight, their combined weight too much for the broomstick –**

"I will never be able to look at Hagrid the same way again." Severus said softly. "Remind me to thank him later."

Harry scoffed, "And give him a heart attack? I don't think so." Severus chuckled at the thought but didn't argue.

** Barely gripping the plummeting bike with his knees, Harry heard Voldemort scream, "Mine!"** **It was over: He could not see or hear where Voldemort was; he glimpsed another Death Eater swooping out of the way and heard, "Avada –"**

The whole room became tense and Severus had to constantly remind himself that Harry was alive and sitting in his lap.

** As the pain from Harry's scar forced his eyes shut, his wand acted of its own accord. He felt it drag his hand around like some great magnet, saw a spurt of golden fire through his half-closed eyelids, heard a crack and a scream of fury. The remaining Death Eater yelled; Voldemort screamed, "NO!" Somehow, Harry found his nose an inch from the dragon-fire button. He punched it with his wand-free hand and the bike shot more flames into the air, hurtling straight toward the ground.**

** "Hagrid!" Harry called, holding on to the bike for dear life. "Hagrid – Accio Hagrid!"**

"Damnit Harry, do you have no sense of self-preservation?" Severus asked.

"You should get to Tonks'." Hermione said, worry coloring her voice.

Harry rolled his eyes, "You two do know that this already happened, right?"No one answered him and Hermione continued to read.

** The motorbike sped up, sucked towards the earth. Face level with the handlebars, Harry could see nothing but distant lights growing nearer and nearer: He was going to crash and there was nothing he could do about it. Behind him came another scream, "Your wand, Selwyn, give me your wand!"**

** He felt Voldemort before he saw him. Looking sideways, he stared into the red eyes and was sure they would be the last thing he ever saw: Voldemort preparing to curse him once more –**

** And then Voldemort vanished. **

Everyone let out sighs of relief. He made it to the wards. Harry just chuckled to himself.

** Harry looked down and saw Hagrid spread-eagled on the ground below him. He pulled hard at the handlebars to avoid hitting him, groped for the brake, but with an earsplitting, ground trembling crash, he smashed into a muddy pond.**

"Alright, who's next?" Hermione asked.


	3. Chapter 3-Fallen Warrior

**19811945: **_**To answer your question, yes. Dumbledore is dead.**_

"I guess I will." George said taking the book from Hermione's grasp and flipping it to the right page. **"Fallen Warrior,"**

There were frowns all around the room as they remembered Mad-Eye.

**"Hagrid?"** **Harry struggled to raise himself out of the debris of metal and leather that surrounded him; his hands sank into inches of muddy water as he tried to stand. He could not understand where Voldemort had gone and expected him to swoop out of the darkness at any moment. Something hot and wet was trickling down his chin and from his forehead.**

Severus groaned, "Why is it _always_ you?" he asked rhetorically. Harry didn't answer but just laid there comfortably.

**He crawled out of the pond and stumbled toward the great dark mass on the ground that was Hagrid.** **"Hagrid? Hagrid, talk to me –"** **But the dark mass did not stir.**

**"Who's there? Is it Potter? Are you Harry Potter?"**

**Harry did not recognize the man's voice. Then a woman shouted. "They've crashed. Ted! Crashed in the garden!"**

**Harry's head was swimming.** **"Hagrid," he repeated stupidly, and his knees buckled.**

"Merlin, Harry." Fred said.

"You must have scared Mr. and Mrs. Tonks to death." George finished a small smile on his face.

**The next thing he knew, he was lying on his back on what felt like cushions, with a burning sensation in his ribs and right arm. His missing tooth had been re-grown. The scar on his forehead was still throbbing.**

"That's it. You aren't going anywhere without an escort. I will not have you nearly killing yourself this year." Severus said, his mind automatically going to their baby. It was his last month...there was no need for the boys clumsiness now.

"I'll be fine, Sev. I don't plan on leaving the castle anytime soon, anyway." Harry said with a roll of his eyes. He was in his last few weeks! Why on earth would he do something reckless...?

**"Hagrid?"** **He opened his eyes and saw that he was lying on a sofa in an unfamiliar, lamp-lit sitting room. His rucksack lay on the floor a short distance away, wet and muddy. A fair-haired, big-bellied man was watching Harry anxiously.**

"Ted Tonks." Ron said, a small frown on his face. Poor Andromeda...the only one she had left was Teddy.

**"Hagrid's fine, son," said the man, "the wife's seeing to him now. How are you feeling? Anything else broken? I've fixed your ribs, your tooth, and your arm. I'm Ted, by the way, Ted Tonks – Dora's father."**

**Harry sat up too quickly. Lights popped in front of his eyes and he felt sick and giddy.** **"Voldemort –"**

"Take it easy." Severus said to the book more than to Harry himself.

"Sev, this was almost a year ago...I'm fine." Harry was beginning to wonder if he'd have to reassure Severus throughout the whole book.

**"Easy, now," said Ted Tonks, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder and pushing him back against the cushions. **

**"That was a nasty crash you just had. What happened, anyway? Something go wrong with the bike? Arthur Weasley overstretch himself again, him and his Muggle contraptions?"**

**"No," said Harry, as his scar pulsed like an open wound. "Death Eaters, loads of them – we were chased –"**

**"Death Eaters?" said Ted sharply. "What d'you mean, Death Eaters? I thought they didn't know you were being moved tonight, I thought –"**

**"They knew," said Harry.**

Severus sighed sadly, it was all his fault. Harry saw the look on his lovers face and his eyes narrowed. "Don't you _dare_ Severus Tobias Snape! This is not your fault! Without you being in the position you were in this war never would have ended. We would still be in darkness...and I don't know where I'd be. I'd either still be on the run or more likely dead, from either starvation or from Voldemort himself." Severus' arms tightened around Harry as he spoke about dying so casually.

**Ted Tonks looked up at the ceiling as though he could see through it to the sky above.** **"Well, we know our protective charms hold, then, don't we? They shouldn't be able to get within a hundred yards of the place in any direction."**

**Now Harry understood why Voldemort had vanished; it had been at the point when the motorbike crossed the barrier of the Order's charms. He only hoped they would continue to work: He imagined Voldemort, a hundred yards above them as they spoke, looking for a way to penetrate what Harry visualized as a great transparent bubble.**

The twins chuckled for a minute before suddenly stopping and transfiguring a quill and parchment and writing stuff down. Harry smiled, they must have thought of a good Weasley product.

**He swung his legs off the sofa; he needed to see Hagrid with his own eyes before he would believe that he was alive. He had barely stood up, however, when a door opened and Hagrid squeezed through it, his face covered in mud and blood, limping a little but miraculously alive.**

**"Harry!"** **Knocking over two delicate tables and an aspidistra, he covered the floor between them in two strides and pulled Harry into a hug that nearly cracked his newly repaired ribs. "Blimey, Harry, how did yeh get out o' that? I thought we were both goners."**

**"Yeah, me too. I can't believe –"** **Harry broke off. He had just noticed the woman who had entered the room behind Hagrid.**

Harry groaned in embarrassment. He was just glad Andromeda had forgiven him for this little mishap. Severus on the other hand was curious as to what could have happened.

**"You!" he shouted, and he thrust his hand into his pocket, but it was empty.**

**"Your wand's here, son," said Ted, tapping it on Harry's arm. "It fell right beside you, I picked it up…And that's my wife you're shouting at."**

"Nice, Harry." Ron snickered. Harry conjured a pillow and hexed it so that it would repeatedly hit him over the head. "Ow! Oi! Harry! I'm sorry! C'mon mate!" Harry just smirked as the pillow continued to whack his best mate over the head.

"You can continue, Forge." Harry said innocently. George just looked from Harry to Ron and back again before continuing to read.

**"Oh, I'm – I'm sorry."**

**As she moved forward into the room, Mrs. Tonks's resemblance to her sister Bellatrix became much less pronounced: Her hair was a light'soft brown and her eyes were wider and kinder. Nevertheless, she looked a little haughty after Harry's exclamation.**

**"What happened to our daughter?" she asked. "Hagrid said you were ambushed; where is Nymphadora?"**

**"I don't know," said Harry. "We don't know what happened to anyone else."**

**She and Ted exchanged looks. A mixture of fear and guilt gripped Harry at the sight of their expressions, if any of the others had died, it was his fault, all his fault. He had consented to the plan, given them his hair . . .**

Severus smacked Harry upside the head. "Stupid Gryffindor." he mumbled. Harry pouted.

"But I'm your Gryffindor."

Severus knew he lost that round so he just kissed Harry's cheek and sighed. "It would seem so."

**"The Portkey," he said, remembering all of a sudden. "We've got to get back to the Burrow and find out – then we'll be able to send you word, or – or Tonks will, once she's –"**

**"Dora'll be ok, 'Dromeda," said Ted. "She knows her stuff, she's been in plenty of tight spots with the Aurors. The Portkey's through here," he added to Harry. "It's supposed to leave in three minutes, if you want to take it."**

"Take it!" Everyone said. Ron on the other had was still glaring at his best mate through pillow hits. Harry decided to take mercy on his and cancelled the spell.

**"Yeah, we do," said Harry. He seized his rucksack, swung it onto his shoulders. "I –"** **He looked at Mrs. Tonks, wanting to apologize for the state of fear in which he left her and for which he felt so terribly responsible, but no words occurred to him that he did not seem hollow and insincere.** **"I'll tell Tonks – Dora – to send word, when she . . . Thanks for patching us up, thanks for everything, I –"** **He was glad to leave the room and follow Ted Tonks along a short hallway and into a bedroom. Hagrid came after them, bending low to avoid hitting his head on the door lintel.**

**"There you go, son. That's the Portkey."** **Mr. Tonks was pointing to a small, silver-backed hairbrush lying on the dressing table.**

**"Thanks," said Harry, reaching out to place a finger on it, ready to leave.**

**"Wait a moment," said Hagrid, looking around. "Harry, where's Hedwig?"**

**"She . . . she got hit," said Harry.** **The realization crashed over him: He felt ashamed of himself as the tears stung his eyes. The owl had been his companion, his one great link with the magical world whenever he had been forced to return to the Dursleys.**

Severus stroked Harry's hair lovingly, trying to console the sniffling Harry Potter on his shoulder.

**Hagrid reached out a great hand and patted him painfully on the shoulder.** **"Never mind," he said gruffly, "Never mind. She had a great old life –"**

**"Hagrid!" said Ted Tonks warningly, as the hairbrush glowed bright blue, and Hagrid only just got his forefinger to it in time.**

They all let out a sigh of relief.

**With a jerk behind the navel as though an invisible hook and line had dragged him forward, Harry was pulled into nothingness, spinning uncontrollably, his finger glued to the Portkey as he and Hagrid hurtled away from Mr. Tonks. Second later, Harry's feet slammed onto hard ground and he fell onto his hands and knees in the yard of the Burrow. He heard screams.**

Severus groaned, why did it always have to be Harry?

**Throwing aside the no longer glowing hairbrush, Harry stood up, swaying slightly, and saw Mrs. Weasley and Ginny running down the steps by the back door as Hagrid, who had also collapsed on landing, clambered laboriously to his feet.**

**"Harry? You are the real Harry? What happened? Where are the others?" cried Mrs. Weasley.**

"Damnit." Severus whispered, as much as he may have acted differently, he cared about the people in the Order.

**"What d'you mean? Isn't anyone else back?" Harry panted.**

**The answer was clearly etched in Mrs. Weasley's pale face.**

**"The Death Eaters were waiting for us," Harry told her, "We were surrounded the moment we took off – they knew it was tonight – I don't know what happened to anyone else, four of them chased us, it was all we could do to get away, and then Voldemort caught up with us –"** **He could hear the self-justifying note in his voice, the plea for her to understand why he did not know what had happened to her sons, but –**

**"Thank goodness you're all right," she said, pulling him into a hug he did not feel he deserved.**

**"Haven't go' any brandy, have yeh, Molly?" asked Hagrid a little shakily, "Fer medicinal purposes?"**

"Sure." Fred snorted, "Medical purposes."

**She could have summoned it by magic, but as she hurried back toward the crooked house, Harry knew that she wanted to hide her face. He turned to Ginny and she answered his unspoken plea for information at once.**

**"Ron and Tonks should have been back first, but they missed their Portkey, it came back without them," she said, pointing at a rusty oil can lying on the ground nearby. "And that one," she pointed at an ancient sneaker, "should have been Dad and Fred's, they were supposed to be second. You and Hagrid were third and," she checked her watch, "if they made it, George and Lupin ought to be back in about a minute."**

**Mrs. Weasley reappeared carrying a bottle of brandy, which she handed to Hagrid. He uncorked it and drank it straight down in one.**

**"Mum!" shouted Ginny pointing to a spot several feet away.**

**A blue light had appeared in the darkness: It grew larger and brighter, and Lupin and George appeared, spinning and then falling. Harry knew immediately that there was something wrong: Lupin was supporting George, who was unconscious and whose face was covered in blood.**

Severus frowned, he felt absolutely terrible for the way things turned out. George would never be able to get that ear back.

**Harry ran forward and seized George's legs. Together, he and Lupin carried George into the house and through the kitchen to the living room, where they laid him on the sofa. As the lamplight fell across George's head, Ginny gasped and Harry's stomach lurched: One of George's ears was missing. The side of his head and neck were drenched in wet, shockingly scarlet blood.**

"I cannot say how incredibly sorry I am..." Severus started.

George put a hand up, "Don't. You were worried about Harry. As long as you treat him and that baby of yours right I won't have any hard feelings." Severus nodded, a small smirk on his face.

**No sooner had Mrs. Weasley bent over her son that Lupin grabbed Harry by the upper arm and dragged him, none too gently, back into the kitchen, where Hagrid was still attempting to ease his bulk through the back door.**

"Really Lupin?!" Severus exclaimed. The teens just looked at each other in shock, they had never seen their Professor act like this...and it was only the third chapter in...

**"Oi!" said Hagrid indignantly, "Le' go of him! Le' go of Harry!"**

**Lupin ignored him.** **"What creature sat in the corner the first time that Harry Potter visited my office at Hogwarts?" he said, giving Harry a small shake. "Answer me!"**

**"A – a Grindylow in a tank, wasn't it?"** **Lupin released Harry and fell back against a kitchen cupboard.**

**"Wha' was tha' about?" roared Hagrid.**

**"I'm sorry, Harry, but I had to check," said Lupin tersely. "We've been betrayed. Voldemort knew that you were being moved tonight and the only people who could have told him were directly involved in the plan. You might have been an impostor."**

"How _did_ you do that by the way?" Harry asked, curious.

Severus shrugged, "I used the Imperious curse on Mundungus and had him suggest the whole thing. The polyjuice, the transportation, it was all my idea...though that may be why they had him as a Potter." The teens were shocked, that had been an amazing idea...they had all been manipulated by a true Slytherin.

**"So why aren' you checkin' me?" panted Hagrid, still struggling with the door.**

**"You're half-giant," said Lupin, looking up at Hagrid. "The Polyjuice Potion is designed for human use only."**

**"None of the Order would have told Voldemort we were moving tonight," said Harry. The idea was dreadful to him, he could not believe it of any of them. **

**"Voldemort only caught up with me toward the end, he didn't know which one I was in the beginning. If he'd been in on the plan he'd have known from the start I was the one with Hagrid."**

"Was that you too?" Harry asked. Severus just nodded.

**"Voldemort caught up with you?" said Lupin sharply. "What happened? How did you escape?"**

**Harry explained how the Death Eaters pursuing them had seemed to recognize him as the true Harry, how they had abandoned the chase, how they must have summoned Voldemort, who had appeared just before he and Hagrid had reached the sanctuary of Tonks's parents.**

**"They recognized you? But how? What had you done?"**

**"I . . ." Harry tried to remember; the whole journey seemed like a blur of panic and confusion. "I saw Stan Shunpike . . . . You know, the bloke who was the conductor on the Knight Bus? And I tried to Disarm him instead of – well, he doesn't know what he's doing, does he? He must be Imperiused!"**

**Lupin looked aghast.** **"Harry, the time for Disarming is past! These people are trying to capture and kill you! At least Stun if you aren't prepared to kill!"**

**"We were hundreds of feet up! Stan's not himself, and if I Stunned him and he'd fallen, he'd have died the same as if I'd used Avada Kedavra!** **Expelliarmus saved me from Voldemort two years ago," Harry added defiantly. Lupin was reminding him of the sneering Hufflepuff Zacharias Smith, who had jeered at Harry for wanting to teach Dumbledore's Army how to Disarm.**

"Ah, remind me to give him a detention the next time I have him in Potions." Severus sneered. Like many other people who were seventh years during the war, they were asked to repeat the year as they didn't really learn much...

**"Yes, Harry," said Lupin with painful restraint, "and a great number of Death Eaters witnessed that happening! Forgive me, but it was a very unusual move then, under the imminent threat of death. Repeating it tonight in front of Death Eaters who either witnessed or heard about the first occasion was close to suicidal!"**

"You both have very good points, Harry." Hermione admitted softly.

**"So you think I should have killed Stan Shunpike?" said Harry angrily.**

"You have your mother's temper." Severus said shaking his head in amusement. Harry just grinned and continued to enjoy the warmth of Severus' body.

**"Of course not," said Lupin, "but the Death Eaters – frankly, most people! – would have expected you to attack back! Expelliarmus is a useful spell, Harry, but the Death Eaters seem to think it is your signature move, and I urge you not to let it become so!"**

**Lupin was making Harry feel idiotic, and yet there was still a grain of defiance inside him.** **"I won't blast people out of my way just because they're there," said Harry, "That's Voldemort's job."**

"Potter: 1 Lupin: 0." Ron said in his best commentator voice.

**Lupin's retort was lost: Finally succeeding in squeezing through the door, Hagrid staggered to a chair and sat down; it collapsed beneath him. Ignoring his mingled oaths and apologies, Harry addressed Lupin again.** **"Will George be okay?"**

**All Lupin's frustration with Harry seemed to drain away at the question.** **"I think so, although there's no chance of replacing his ear, not when it's been cursed off –"**

Severus didn't say anything this time. George had said it was alright and he was going to act as if it hadn't been him who did it. At least until the end of the book.

**There was a scuffling from outside. Lupin dived for the back door; Harry leapt over Hagrid's legs and sprinted into the yard.**

**Two figures had appeared in the yard, and as Harry ran toward them he realized they were Hermione, now returning to her normal appearance, and Kingsley, both clutching a bent coat hanger, Hermione flung herself into Harry's arms, but Kingsley showed no pleasure at the sight of any of them. Over Hermione's shoulder Harry saw him raise his wand and point it at Lupin's chest.**

**"The last words Albus Dumbledore spoke to the pair of us!"**

**"'Harry is the best hope we have. Trust him,'" said Lupin calmly.**

"They just love to pile the pressure on you, don't they?" Fred asked, a small smile on his face as Harry frowned.

**Kingsley turned his wand on Harry, but Lupin said, "It's him, I've checked!"**

**"All right, all right!" said Kingsley, stowing his wand back beneath his cloak, "But somebody betrayed us! They knew, they knew it was tonight!"**

**"So it seems," replied Lupin, "but apparently they did not realize that there would be seven Harrys."**

"Something you kept to yourself?" Harry asked his lover, amused at his Slytherin ways.

"Of course. You always keep the biggest secret under your wing."

**"Small comfort!" snarled Kingsley. "Who else is back?"**

**"Only Harry, Hagrid, George, and me."**

**Hermione stifled a little moan behind her hand.**

Fred looked at Hermione in confusion, she blushed before answering, "I was worried about you." Fred just smiled like a mad man as George continued to read.

**"What happened to you?" Lupin asked Kingsley.**

**"Followed by five, injured two, might've killed one," Kingsley reeled off, **

**"Yeah he did," Hermione said. **

"I could see the thestral after that." She admitted as an answer to the curious glance she received from Ron.

**"And we saw You-Know-Who as well, he joined the chase halfway through but vanished pretty quickly. Remus, he can –"**

**"Fly," supplied Harry. "I saw him too, he came after Hagrid and me."**

**"So that's why he left, to follow you!" said Kingsley, "I couldn't understand why he'd vanished. But what made him change targets?"**

**"Harry behaved a little too kindly to Stan Shunpike," said Lupin.**

"Why couldn't they just drop it?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged.

**"Stan?" repeated Hermione. "But I thought he was in Azkaban?"**

**Kingsley let out a mirthless laugh.** **"Hermione, there's obviously been a mass breakout which the Ministry has hushed up. Travers's hood fell off when I cursed him, he's supposed to be inside too. But what happened to you, Remus? Where's George?"**

**"He lost an ear," said Lupin.**

**"lost an - ?" repeated Hermione in a high voice.**

**"Snape's work," said Lupin. Harry felt a twinge in his heart at the name but kept it to himself.**

They all glanced at Harry in understanding, "You didn't say anything because you were protecting him." Hermione said, finally understanding.

Harry nodded, "If there _was _someone still in the Order who reported back to Voldemort I didn't want it getting back to him that I was in love with the man who had worked so hard to get in his good graces." Severus watched the man he loved with shocked eyes. Harry really had thought of everything hadn't he?

**"Snape?" Harry asked. "You didn't say –"**

**"He lost his hood during the chase. Sectumsempra was always a specialty of Snape's. I wish I could say I'd paid him back in kind, but it was all I could do to keep George on the broom after he was injured, he was losing so much blood."**

**Silence fell between the four of them as they looked up at the sky. Harry was silently glad that Remus hadn't hurt Severus but refrained from saying so. There was no sign of movement; the stars stared back, unblinking, indifferent, unobscured by flying friends. Where was Ron? Where were Fred and Mr. Weasley? Where were Bill, Fleur, Tonks, Mad-Eye, and Mundungus? Was Severus alright? Did another Order member get him?**

Harry's friends watched him with smiles on their faces. The first time he had told them who Severus was to him they laughed in his face, when he continued to say it they were ready to put him straight into St. Mungo's. But reading his thoughts they realized how much Harry loved their Potions Professor.

Severus just kissed Harry lightly on the lips. He was touched how much Harry worried about him.

**"Harry, give us a hand!" called Hagrid hoarsely from the door, in which he was stuck again. Glad of something to do, Harry pulled him free, the headed through the empty kitchen and back into the sitting room, where Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were still tending to George. Mrs. Weasley had staunched his bleeding now, and by the lamplight Harry saw a clean gaping hole where George's ear had been.**

**"How is he?"**

**Mrs. Weasley looked around and said, "I can't make it grow back, not when it's been removed by Dark Magic. But it could've been so much worse . . . . He's alive." **

**"Yeah," said Harry, glad to get his mind off of worrying. "Thank God." **

**"Did I hear someone else in the yard?" Ginny asked.**

**"Hermione and Kingsley," said Harry.**

**"Thank goodness," Ginny whispered. They looked at each other; Harry suddenly wished Severus was there to hold him; he did not even care much that Ginny and Mrs. Weasley was there, but before he could continue on with those thoughts, there was a great crash from the kitchen.**

**"I'll prove who I am, Kingsley, after I've seen my son, now back off if you know what's good for you!"**

"Dad really was worried, wasn't he?" George asked, suddenly understanding how worried his family had been.

**Harry had never heard Mr. Weasley shout like that before. He burst into the living room, his bald patch gleaming with sweat, his spectacles askew, Fred right behind him, both pale but uninjured. Hermione hugged Fred quickly before pulling away, allowing him to look at his brother.**

Fred kissed the top of Hermione's head lovingly. "Thank you for understanding."

Hermione shrugged, "I've seen how you two are when you're without the other for days on end...I knew what I was getting myself into when I said yes to dating you."

George smirked. "So when you two get married...can I come with you on the Honeymoon?" he asked innocently.

Fred and Hermione suddenly looked horror-struck. "No!" Harry, Ron, and George all burst out into laughter while Severus watched the proceedings with an amused expression on his face.

**"Arthur!" sobbed Mrs. Weasley. "Oh thank goodness!"**

**"How is he?"Mr. Weasley dropped to his knees beside George. For the first time since Harry had known him, Fred seemed to be lost for words. He gaped over the back of the sofa at his twin's wound as if he could not believe what he was seeing. Hermione took his hand lovingly.**

**Perhaps roused by the sound of Fred and their father's arrival, George stirred.** **"How do you feel, Georgie?" whispered Mrs. Weasley.**

**George's fingers groped for the side of his head.** **"Saintlike," he murmured.**

Knowing what his brother was thinking Fred smacked his brother upside the head. "Git." he mumbled.

**"What's wrong with him?" croaked Fred, looking terrified. "Is his mind affected?"**

**"Saintlike," repeated George, opening his eyes and looking up at his brother. "You see. . . I'm holy. Holey, Fred, geddit?"**

**Mrs. Weasley sobbed harder than ever. Color flooded Fred's pale face.** **"Pathetic," he told George. "Pathetic! With the whole wide world of ear-related humor before you, you go for holey?"**

"You are such a git! You really had me worried there." Fred said continuing to smack George where ever he could without hurting Hermione.

**"Ah well," said George, grinning at his tear-soaked mother. "You'll be able to tell us apart now, anyway, Mum."** **He looked around.** **"Hi, Harry – you are Harry, right?"**

**"Yeah, I am," said Harry, moving closer to the sofa.**

**"Well, at least we got you back okay," said George. "Why aren't Ron and Bill huddled round my sickbed?"**

**"They're not back yet, George," said Mrs. Weasley. George's grin faded. Harry glanced at Ginny and motioned to her to accompany him back outside, she would have the information he wanted. As they walked through the kitchen she said in a low voice.**

"You know, she would probably take advantage of you if given the chance..." Ron said thoughtfully.

"You don't say..." Harry said rolling his eyes, wondering how Severus would take his birthday...

**"Ron and Tonks should be back by now. They didn't have a long journey; Auntie Muriel's not that far from here."**

**Harry said nothing. He had been trying to keep fear at bay ever since reaching the Burrow, but now it enveloped him, seeming to crawl over his skin, throbbing in his chest, clogging his throat. As they walked down the back steps into the dark yard, Ginny took his hand. Harry knew it was not her hand he craved in his own but he couldn't bring himself to pull away. He was too tired.**

Severus took Harry's hand in his, as if to fix what he was feeling all those months ago.

**Kingsley was striding backward and forward, glancing up at the sky every time he turned. Harry was reminded of Uncle Vernon pacing the living room a million years ago. Hagrid, Hermione, and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing upward in silence. None of them looked around when Harry and Ginny joined their silent vigil.**

**The minutes stretched into what might as well have been years. The slightest breath of wind made them all jump and turn toward the whispering bush or tree in the hope that one of the missing Order members might leap unscathed from its leaves –** **And then a broom materialized directly above them and streaked toward the ground –**

**"It's them!" screamed Hermione.**

**Tonks landed in a long skid that sent earth and pebbles everywhere.** **"Remus!" Tonks cried as she staggered off the broom into Lupin's arms. His face was set and white: He seemed unable to speak, Ron tripped dazedly toward Harry and Hermione.**

**"You're okay," he mumbled, before Hermione flew at him and hugged him tightly. Fred right behind her as if afraid she would disappear in a flash of smoke.**

**"I thought – I thought –"**

**"'M all right," said Ron, patting her on the back. "'M fine."**

**"Ron was great," said Tonks warmly, relinquishing her hold on Lupin. "Wonderful. Stunned one of the Death Eaters, straight to the head, and when you're aiming at a moving target from a flying broom –"**

"That just proves what a good keeper you are." Harry said, his Quiddatch knowledge kicking in. Ron blushed the famous Weasley red and looked down, mumbling to himself.

**"You did?" said Hermione, gazing up at Ron with her arms still around his neck.**

**"Always the tone of surprise," he said a little grumpily, breaking free. **

**"Are we the last back?"**

**"No," said Ginny, "we're still waiting for Bill and Fleur and Mad-Eye and Mundungus. I'm going to tell Mum and Dad you're okay, Ron –"** **She ran back inside.**

**"So what kept you? What happened?" Lupin sounded almost angry at Tonks.**

"He was worried." Harry said, trying to get Hermione to stop looking so mad.

"Doesn't mean he had the right to be mad at her." She said.

"People do stupid things when they're worried." Severus said, actually standing up for the wolf. He knew he had made mistakes with Harry because he got angry when worried so he knew how Lupin felt.

**"Bellatrix," said Tonks. "She wants me quite as much as she wants Harry, Remus, She tried very hard to kill me. I just wish I'd got her, I owe Bellatrix.** **But we definitely injured Rodolphus . . . . Then we got to Ron's Auntie Muriel's and we missed our Portkey and she was fussing over us –"**

Ron groaned as he remembered that evening, "She was bloody terrible."

**A muscle was jumping in Lupin's jaw. He nodded, but seemed unable to say anything else.**

**"So what happened to you lot?" Tonks asked, turning to Harry, Hermione, and Kingsley.**

**They recounted the stories of their own journeys, but all the time the continued absence of Bill, Fleur, Mad-Eye, and Mundungus seemed to lie upon them like a frost, its icy bite harder and harder to ignore.**

**"I'm going to have to get back to Downing Street, I should have been there an hour ago," said Kingsley finally, after a last sweeping gaze at the sky. "Let me know when they're back,."**

Fred looked at Harry with amusement, "See, you're more important than the muggle Prime Minister." Harry just groaned and hid his face in Severus' robes.

**Lupin nodded. With a wave to the others, Kingsley walked away into the darkness toward the gate. Harry thought he heard the faintest pop as Kingsley Disapparated just beyond the Burrow's boundaries.**

**Mr. And Mrs. Weasley came racing down the back steps, Ginny behind them. Both parents hugged Ron before turning to Lupin and Tonks.**

**"Thank you," said Mrs. Weasley, "for our sons."**

**"Don't be silly, Molly," said Tonks at once.**

**"How's George?" asked Lupin.**

**"What's wrong with him?" piped up Ron.**

"I was so bloody worried after that." Ron admitted.

**"He's lost –"But the end of Mrs. Weasley's sentence was drowned in a general outcry. A thestral had just soared into sight and landed a few feet from them. Bill and Fleur slid from its back, windswept but unhurt.**

**"Bill! Thank God, thank God –"** **Mrs. Weasley ran forward, but the hug Bill bestowed upon her was perfunctory. Looking directly at his father, he said, "Mad-Eye's dead."**

There was silence in the room as they remembered the fierce leader that was Alastor Moody.

**Nobody spoke, nobody moved. Harry felt as though something inside him was falling, falling through the earth, leaving him forever.**

**"We saw it," said Bill; Fleur nodded, tear tracks glittering on her cheeks in the light from the kitchen window. "It happened just after we broke out of the circle: Mad-Eye and Dung were close by us, they were heading north too. Voldemort – he can fly – went straight for them. Dung panicked, I heard him cry out, Mad-Eye tried to stop him, but he Disapparated.**

"Coward." Harry muttered, he hadn't seen the man since he was in Grimmauld place that day as they spoke about the locket.

**Voldemort's curse hit Mad-Eye full in the face, he fell backward off his broom and – there was nothing we could do, nothing, we had half a dozen of them on our own tail –"** **Bill's voice broke.**

**"Of course you couldn't have done anything," said Lupin.**

**They all stood looking at each other. Harry could not quite comprehend it. Mad-Eye dead; it could not be . . . . Mad-Eye, so tough, so brave, the consummate survivor . . .**

No one knew what to say anymore so they all stayed quiet.

**At last it seemed to dawn on everyone, though nobody said it, that there was no point of waiting in the yard anymore, and in silence they followed Mr. And Mrs. Weasley back into the Burrow, and into the living room, where George was waitingfor them.**

**"What's wrong?" he asked, scanning their faces as they entered, "What's happened? Who's -?"**

**"Mad-Eye," said Mr. Weasley, "Dead."**

**George's grin turned to a grimace of shock. Fred and Hermione silently moved to sit next to him. Nobody seemed to know what to do. Tonks was crying silently into a handkerchief: She had been close to Mad-Eye, Harry knew, his favorite and his protégée at the Ministry of Magic. **

**Hagrid, who had sat down on the floor in the corner where he had most space, was dabbing at his eyes with his tablecloth-sized handkerchief.**

**Bill walked over to the sideboard and pulled out a bottle of fire-whisky and some glasses.** **"Here," he said, and with a wave of his wand, and sent twelve full glasses soaring through the room to each of them, holding the thirteenth aloft. "Mad-Eye."**

**"Mad-Eye," they all said, and drank.**

**"Mad-Eye," echoed Hagrid, a little late, with a hiccup. The firewhisky seared Harry's throat. It seemed to burn feeling back into him, dispelling the numbness and sense of unreality firing him with something that was like courage.**

Severus knew the feeling Harry was talking about, he had felt it when Voldemort had said Harry was dead. He had been ready to kill anyone who needed to be killed, to hurt anyone who needed to be hurt. That same courage hit him like it had with Harry, though ten times harder.

**"So Mundungus disappeared?" said Lupin, who had drained his own glass in one.**

**The atmosphere changed at once. Everybody looked tense, watching Lupin, both wanting him to go on, it seemed to Harry, and slightly afraid of what they might hear.**

**"I know what you're thinking," said Bill, "and I wondered that too, on the way back here, because they seemed to be expecting us, didn't they? But Mundungus can't have betrayed us. They didn't know there would be seven Harrys, that confused them the moment we appeared, and in case you've forgotten, it was Mundungus who suggested that little bit of skullduggery. **

"Courtesy of Professor Snape." Fred said, performing a sweeping bow with his hands, reminding Severus of Fabian Prewitt...

**Why wouldn't he have told them the essential point? I think Dung panicked, it's as simple as that. He didn't want to come in the first place, but Mad-Eye made him, and You-Know-Who went straight for them. It was enough to make anyone panic."**

"Because they were on a broom and Moody was the best Auror...it would only make sense that he went after them first." Hermione said.

**"You-Know-Who acted exactly as Mad-Eye expected him to," sniffed Tonks. "Mad-Eye said he'd expect the real Harry to be with the toughest, most skilled Aurors. He chased Mad-Eye first, and when Mundungus gave them away he switched to Kingsley. . . . "**

Hermione nodded.

**"Yes, and zat eez all very good," snapped Fleur, "but still eet does not explain 'ow zey know we were moving 'Arry tonight, does eet? Somebody must 'ave been careless. Somebody let slip ze date to an outsider. It is ze only explanation for zem knowing ze date but not ze 'ole plan."**

Severus' head hit the back of the chair with a thump. Harry just patted his shoulder lovingly.

**She glared around at them all, tear tracks still etched on her beautiful face, silently daring any of them to contradict her. Nobody did. The only sound to break the silence was that of Hagrid hiccupping from behind his handkerchief. Harry glanced at Hagrid, who had just risked his own life to save Harry's – Hagrid, whom he loved, whom he trusted, who had once been tricked into giving Voldemort crucial information in exchange for a dragon's egg. . . .**

Severus perked up at that. "What did Hagrid do"

"Erm...in first year Voldemort may have given Hagrid a dragon egg in exchange for information on Fluffy." Harry said, looking anywhere but at Severus. When he saw his lover getting angry he quickly started speaking again. "It wasn't his fault. Tom Riddle was always a charmer! He's used to using flattery and anything in his disposal to get what he wants." Severus looked thoughtful at that and nodded his head in understanding.

**"No," Harry said aloud, and they all looked at him, surprised: The firewhisky seemed to have amplified his voice. "I mean . . . if somebody made a mistake," Harry went on, "and let something slip, I know they didn't mean to do it. It's not their fault," he repeated, again a little louder than he would usually have spoken. "We've got to trust each other. I trust all of you, I don't think anyone in this room would ever** **sell me to Voldemort."**

**More silence followed his words. They were all looking at him; Harry felt a little hot again, and drank some more firewhisky for something to do. As he drank, he thought of Mad-Eye. Mad-Eye had always been scathing about Dumbledore's willingness to trust people.**

**"Well said, Harry," said Fred unexpectedly.**

**"Year, 'ear, 'ear," said George, with half a glance at Fred, the corner of whose mouth twitched.**

Fred face palmed and shook his head muttering something like 'pathetic excuse for a joke...' George just smiled sheepishly at his brother.

**Lupin was wearing an odd expression as he looked at Harry. It was close to pitying.**

**"You think I'm a fool?" demanded Harry.**

**"No, I think you're like James," said Lupin, "who would have regarded it as the height of dishonor to mistrust his friends."**

**Harry knew what Lupin was getting at: that his father had been betrayed by his friend Peter Pettigrew. **

Harry made a face, "That was different."

"How so?" Severus asked, honestly curious.

Harry shrugged, "His animagus was a rat. Do I really need to say more?"

They all shook their heads, "I guess not." the older man said.

**He felt irrationally angry. He wanted to argue, but Lupin had turned away from him, set down his glass upon a side table, and addressed Bill, "There's work to do. I can ask Kingsley whether –"**

**"No," said Bill at once, "I'll do it, I'll come."**

**"Where are you going?" said Tonks and Fleur together.**

**"Mad-Eye's body," said Lupin. "We need to recover it."**

**"Can't it - ?" began Mrs. Weasley with an appealing look at Bill.**

**"Wait?" said Bill, "Not unless you'd rather the Death Eaters took it?"** **Nobody spoke. Lupin and Bill said good bye and left.**

"That was a good move on their part. Had we really gotten a hold of his body, The Dark Lord could have done terrible things." Severus shivered at the thought. Harry took the man's hand in his and squeezed it lovingly.

**The rest of them now dropped into chairs, all except for Harry, who remained standing. The suddenness and completeness of death was with them like a presence.**

**"I've got to go too," said Harry.** **Ten pairs of startled eyes looked at him.**

Severus narrowed his eyes at Harry, who was trying his best to look innocent and failing remarkably. The twins and Ron couldn't help the laughter that ripped from their throats.

**"Don't be silly, Harry," said Mrs. Weasley, "What are you talking about?"**

**"I can't stay here."** **He rubbed his forehead; it was prickling again, he had not hurt like this for more than a year.** **"You're all in danger while I'm here. I don't want –"**

**"But don't be so silly!" said Mrs. Weasley. "The whole point of tonight was to get you here safely, and thank goodness it worked. And Fleur's agreed to get married here rather than in France, we've arranged everything so that we can all stay together and look after you –"** **She did not understand; she was making him feel worse, not better.**

"I think that was the point, mate." Ron said a smug look on his face, a carefully aimed pillow took care of that for him.

**"If Voldemort finds out I'm here –"**

**"But why should he?" asked Mrs. Weasley.**

Severus raised an eyebrow at that, "Considering you were there as often as you could...that was the first place he wanted to look. I somehow talked him into leaving you for a few days..."

This time it was Harry's turn to smirk smugly at Ron, and the best part was that Ron wouldn't hit a pregnant person with a pillow...it also helped that he was sitting in his scary potions master's lap.

**"There are a dozen places you might be now, Harry," said Mr. Weasley. "He's got no way of knowing which safe house you're in."**

**"It's not me I'm worried for!" said Harry.**

Hermione sighed, "You never are..."

"I've learned to worry about myself..." Harry said defensively.

"Only since you got pregnant." Hermione countered with a raised eyebrow. Harry said nothing and just pouted in Severus' lap.

**"We know that," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "but it would make our efforts tonight seem rather pointless if you left."**

**"Yer not goin' anywhere," growled Hagrid. "Blimey, Harry, after all we wen' through ter get you here?"**

**"Yeah, what about my bleeding ear?" said George, hoisting himself up on his cushions.**

**"I know that –"**

**"Mad-Eye wouldn't want –"**

**"I KNOW!" Harry bellowed.** **He felt beleaguered and blackmailed: Did they think he did not know what they had done for him, didn't they understand that it was for precisely that reason that he wanted to go now, before they had to suffer any more on his behalf? There was a long and awkward silence in which his scar continued to prickle and throb, and which was broken at last by Mrs. Weasley.**

They all winced in sympathy. "Sorry mate, I think we just wanted to make sure you would be safe. Even if it was only for a few days." George admitted.

**"Where's Hedwig, Harry?" she said coaxingly. "We can put her up with Pidwidgeon and give her something to eat."** **His insides clenched like a fist. He could not tell her the truth. He drank the last of his fire whiskey to avoid answering.**

Harry just sighed as he just continued to lay his head on Severus' shoulder, "When does it stop hurting?" he whispered to Severus.

"I don't think it will ever stop, Harry. I think with time you'll see that she lived a long life and she was happy with you...even if she did have an attitude the last few days..." Even though Harry would never say it, Severus' words were the beginning of Harry's healing.

**"Wait till it gets out yeh did it again, Harry," said Hagrid. "Escaped him, fought him off when he was right on top of yeh!"**

Severus winced, "That was not a fun meeting."

Harry automatically began rubbing Severus' chest in a reassuring motion, "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Severus shook his head, "No. He was pleased with me because I had managed to injure an infamous Weasley twin."

George raised an eyebrow at that, "Are you serious?"

Severus raised an eyebrow, "You two were at the top of his list to either convert or destroy. Your inventions were well-known at the time...and still are to this day."

**"It wasn't me," said Harry flatly. "It was my wand. My wand acted of its own accord."**

**After a few moments, Hermione said gently, "But that's impossible, Harry. You mean that you did magic without meaning to; you reacted instinctively."**

Hermione bit her lip, "I'm sorry Harry. I believe you now...it's just that it was so...unbelievable."

Harry nodded, "It's fine, Mia. I can see how hard it was to believe, now."

**"No," said Harry. "The bike was falling, I couldn't have told you where Voldemort was, but my wand spun in my hand and found him and shot a spell at him, and it wasn't even a spell I recognized. I've never made gold flames appear before."**

**"Often," said Mr. Weasley, "when you're in a pressured situation you can produce magic you never dreamed of. Small children often find, before they're trained –"**

Severus shook his head, "That wasn't what it was." Harry sighed in relief, at least someone believed him as a first thought. He hated it when people didn't believe him...he wasn't a liar.

**"It wasn't like that," said Harry through gritted teeth. His scar was burning. He felt angry and frustrated; he hated the idea that they were all imagining him to have power to match Voldemort's.** **No one said anything. He knew that they did not believe him. Now that he came to think of it, he had never heard of a wand performing magic on its own before.**

Harry sighed, "I thought I was going crazy. I never want to feel like that again."

Severus kissed Harry's lips lightly, leaning his forehead against Harry's when they broke apart, "You'll never have to feel like that again if I have anything to say about that." the rest of the teens in the room pretended to be looking anywhere but where the two lovebirds where.

**His scar seared with pain, it was all he could do not to moan aloud. Muttering about fresh air, he set down his glass and left the room.** **As he crossed the yard, the great skeletal Thestral looked up – rustled its enormous batlike wings, then resumed its grazing. Harry stopped at the gate into the garden, staring out at its overgrown plants, rubbing his pounding forehead and thinking of Dumbledore.**

When Harry's head hit his shoulder again, Severus ran his hands through Harry's hair, causing the younger man to calm down and fall into a light sleep. Something Severus was grateful for.

**Dumbledore would have believed him, he knew it. Dumbledore would have known how and why Harry's wand had acted independently, because Dumbledore always had the answers; he had known about wands, had explained to Harry the strange connection that existed between his wand and Voldemort's . . . . But Dumbledore, like Mad-Eye, like Sirius, like his parents, like his poor owl, all were gone where Harry could never talk to them again. He felt a burning in his throat that had nothing to do with firewhisky. . . .**

"Oh, Harry." Hermione said sadly. Tears filling her eyes and slowly falling over her lids. Fred wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his lap, whispering things into her ear to calm her.

**And then, out of nowhere, the pain in his scar peaked. As he clutched his forehead and closed his eyes, a voice screamed inside his head.**

**"You told me the problem would be solved by using another's wand!"**

**And into his mind burst the vision of an emaciated old man lying in rags upon a stone floor, screaming, a horrible drawn-out scream, a scream of unendurable agony. . . .**

**"No! No! I beg you, I beg you. . . ."**

**"You lied to Lord Voldemort, Ollivander!"**

Ron winced, he was glad Ollivander hadn't gone out of business after the war. There would have been hundreds of witches and wizards without wands...

**"I did not. . . . I swear I did not. . . ."**

**"You sought to help Potter, to help him escape me!"**

**"I swear I did not. . . . I believed a different wand would work. . . ."**

**"Explain, then, what happened. Lucius's wand is destroyed!"**

**"I cannot understand. . . . The connection . . . exists only . . between your two wands. . . ."**

"That was a complicated connection, but I guess we know why now." Hermione said softly, thinking about the horcrux within Harry. Severus nodded in agreement, he had thought the same thing when he heard about the destruction of Lucius' wand.

**"Lies!"**

**"Please . . . I beg you. . . ."**

**And Harry saw the white hand raise its wand and felt Voldemort's surge of vicious anger, saw the frail old main on the floor writhe in agony –**

Severus watched Harry as he slept, he was grateful that he could finally get some sleep. Ever since he had found out he was pregnant he'd had nightmares. He was worried something would happen to their child or that someone would come after them as revenge. .. He was silently glad that it was almost over, at least to give Harry some reassurance that no one would come after them.

**"Harry?"**

**It was over as quickly as it had come: Harry stood shaking in the darkness, clutching the gate into the garden, his heart racing, his scar still tingling. It was several moments before he realized that Ron and Hermione were at his side.**

**"Harry, come back in the house," Hermione whispered, "You aren't still thinking of leaving?"**

**"Yeah, you've got to stay, mate," said Ron, thumping Harry on the back.**

**"Are you all right?" Hermione asked, close enough now to look into Harry's face. "You look awful!"**

**"Well," said Harry shakily, "I probably look better than Ollivander. . . ."**

**When he had finished telling them what he had seen, Ron looked appalled, but Hermione downright terrified.**

**"But it was supposed to have stopped! Your scar – it wasn't supposed to do this anymore! You mustn't let that connection open up again – Dumbledore wanted you to close your mind!"**

"I believe that was a task easier said than done, Miss. Granger. I believe we underestimated the link between the two." Severus said in a near whisper, afraid to wake Harry up. Hermione just nodded.

**When he did not reply, she gripped his arm.**

**"Harry, he's taking over the Ministry and the newspapers and half the Wizarding world! Don't let him inside your head too!"**

George marked the page and closed the book before looking at the sleeping form of Harry. "Maybe we should wait for Harry to wake up before continuing."

Severus nodded, "He needs the sleep. He's been having trouble sleeping."

Ron and Hermione nodded in understanding, "The nightmares?" Ron asked.

Severus nodded, "He's afraid that something will happen to the baby, or someone will come after us as revenge for the fall of the Dark Lord."

Hermione bit her lip, "I think it's because he's always wanted a family of his own. Now that he has the beginnings of one, he's afraid something's going to happen to take it away from him as fate has so cruelly done before."

Severus kissed Harry's forehead, lovingly. "He will never lose me...even if he wants to...I will always be there waiting for him."

Harry's friends just smiled. They were glad Harry had found someone so utterly in love with him, even if it was Snape.


	4. Chapter 4-Knowing and the Goul in PJ's

**The reading of this chapter was incredibly hard to write...hope you enjoy!**

The group continued to talk in hushed tones as Harry slept. Soon Hermione started to nod off as well. "Maybe we should all get some sleep?" Severus suggested getting his arms around Harry and lifting him. The boys nodded as three doors appeared, "Mr. Weasley." Severus said causing Fred to turn and look at him, "No funny business."

Fred stared dumbfounded at the retreating form of Severus Snape as he walked through a door with Harry. He was just going to put Hermione to bed and then go with his brothers, but since the Professor seemed to trust him he would sleep on the bed next to Mione's.

George and Ron watched with amusement as Fred walked into another room and didn't return. "I guess it's just you and me, bro." George said wrapping an arm around Ron's shoulders and leading him to the last bedroom.

~oOo~

When Severus placed Harry on the bed the younger man opened his eyes, "Sev?" he asked.

"Yes, Harry?" Severus asked as he changed into his nightclothes. As he moved to help Harry change Harry spoke up.

"Are we still going for my scan tomorrow?" he asked.

Severus nodded with a slight smile on his face. "Of course. We are going to find out if you're carrying our son or daughter...besides, Poppy wants to make sure that everything's alright, especially because you're so close to your due date."

The Matron had become impossible to deal with as Harry's ninth month grew closer. Severus as well became slightly unbearable, hovering all of the time. Sometimes Harry liked to be spoiled but sometimes it became downright annoying.

When Severus slid into bed next to Harry the couple quickly fell asleep. They had had a long day between Harry's mood swings, Harry's back aches, and the book they had been exhausted.

~oOo~

"Harry James Potter! Get up this instant!" Severus said pulling the blankets off of the boy who was trying to sink back into the bed. "Harry! We are going to be late! Poppy is going to skin my hide." Severus said the last bit to himself.

"Five more minutes, Sev." Harry said groggily.

Severus sighed before sitting at the edge of the bed and kissing Harry deeply. Harry melted into the kiss and opened his eyes, Severus chuckled as he pulled away.

Harry pouted, "That's not fair!"

"How is that not fair, Harry?" Severus asked innocently, a smile on his face as he got off of the bed.

"Because I'm pregnant and my hormones are controlling me!" Harry said, "And I really _want_ you now."

Severus smirked, "I _am_ a Slytherin, Harry...and we are not allowed to be intimate until the baby is born...Poppy is afraid of you going into labor too early."

"It's your own fault." Harry grumbled as he got out of bed, "You're the one snogging me this early in the morning." Severus couldn't help but chuckle to himself as Harry grumbled to himself as he dressed.

Once Harry was dressed and ready to go he and Severus said good-bye to Harry's friends and left the ROR to head to the Infirmary. Harry blushed when Severus told him that they were nearly a half hour late. But when Poppy questioned them about it Severus stood up for him, "He had a very long day yesterday, Poppy. I wanted him to get some decent sleep before today's appointment."

She nodded and this and turned to Harry with a smile, "Maybe he or she will cooperate this time, huh?" Harry smiled and nodded. "Lift up your shirt please, Harry and we'll see how the little one is doing."

Harry did what he was told and lifted his shirt as Poppy waved her wand over his swollen belly and a 3D image came up of a nearly full size baby, it's fingers in its mouth. Harry could feel the tears running down his face, he looked up and saw that Severus had a few tears of his own running down his face. Harry blindly reached for his lovers hand and squeezed it.

Poppy smiled at the two, "Do you still want to know if it's a boy or a girl?" she asked.

Harry nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes, "Is it cooperating this time?" he asked quietly, his voice still shaky from crying. Poppy nodded, "Than yes we want to know. We don't want to keep calling he or she an it."

Poppy smiled, "Congratulations, you two are having a baby girl." Harry felt Severus' hold tighten on his hand. "I'll leave you two alone for a little while. You're allowed to leave whenever you feel ready, Harry."

When the matron left Severus moved from his seat next to the bed onto the bed. He pulled Harry into his arms and kissed the top of his head, "We're going to have a girl...a little girl..."

Harry chuckled, "You can scare away all potential boyfriends."

Severus wiped the tears from his eyes and chuckled as well, "That shouldn't be too hard as I already scare half of the student population."

"What are we going to name her?" Harry asked, suddenly worried about his daughter being born nameless.

Severus' eyebrows furrowed together at that, "We still have a few weeks for that, Harry. Maybe while we're reading we'll think of something."

Harry nodded, "I guess that means we should be heading back now."

"If we ever want to finish that book before you go into labor, yes." Severus admitted getting off the bed and helping Harry stand. Severus held Harry's hand on the way up the stairs, taking care to go slowly. When they reached the ROR Hermione was up in an instant asking questions a mile a minute.

"Are you alright? Is the baby healthy? Do you know if it's a boy or girl? Do you have a name-"

"Mia, leave them be for a few minutes. They just got back from what might have been a life changing moment." Severus had never been so grateful for Fred Weasley his entire life.

Ron took the opportunity to intercede, "Why don't we read for a little while? We can ask Harry and Professor Snape questions once they've settled back in."

Everyone nodded as they found their way to their previous spots. "Who was reading?" Harry asked, still in a slight daze.

"I'll read." Fred said taking the book from his twins hands. **"The Ghoul in Pajamas**," he read with a smirk. He could remember transfiguring that thing vividly. Severus just looked at the boy, confused.

**The shock of losing Mad-Eye hung over the house in the days that followed; Harry kept expecting to see him stumping in through the back door like the other Order members, who passed in and out to relay news. Harry felt that nothing but action would assuage his feelings of guilt and grief and that he ought to set out on his mission to find and destroy Horcruxes as soon as possible.**

"_That's _what he had you out looking for?!" Fred demanded, he and George had read a lot about the objects as they had to know a lot about random pieces of magic for their Weasley Wizarding Weezes.

No one said anything, knowing that everything they needed to know was in the book. Harry just continued to lay on Severus' chest his mind still on his little girl.

"**Well, you can't do anything about the" – Ron mouthed the word Horcruxes – "till you're seventeen. You've still got the Trace on you.** **And we can plan here as well as anywhere, can't we? Or," he dropped his voice to a whisper, "d'you reckon you already know where the You-Know-Whats are?"**

"**No," Harry admitted.**

"**I think Hermione's been doing a bit of research," said Ron. "She said she was saving it for when you got here."**

**They were sitting at the breakfast table; Mr. Weasley and Bill had just left for work. Mrs. Weasley had gone upstairs to wake Hermione and Ginny, while Fleur had drifted off to take a bath.**

"**The Trace'll break on the thirty-first," said Harry. "That means I only need to stay here four days. Then I can –"**

**"Five days," Ron corrected him firmly. "We've got to stay for the wedding. They'll kill us if we miss it."** **Harry understood "they" to mean Fleur and Mrs. Weasley.** "**It's one extra day," said Ron, when Harry looked mutinous.**

"Mum and Fleur would have hunted you three down and made Voldemort seem tame." George admitted with a shudder. Ron paled as Hermione smirked from her spot in Fred's arms as Harry smiled. The green eyed man took Severus' hand and began to play with the man's long and elegant fingers. Severus raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything about Harry's strange behaviors. He was used to them ever since Harry entered his second trimester.

"**Don't they realize how important –?"**

"'**Course they don't," said Ron. "They haven't got a clue. And now you mention it, I wanted to talk to you about that."**

**Ron glanced toward the door into the hall to check that Mrs. Weasley was not returning yet, then leaned in closer to Harry.** "**Mum's been trying to get it out of Hermione and me. What we're off to do. She'll try you next, so brace yourself. Dad and Lupin've both asked as well, but when we said Dumbledore told you not to tell anyone except us, they dropped it. Not Mum, though. She's determined."**

The twins just nodded and continued to read. They remembered how determined their Mum was to keep the trio there, safe and sound in the Burrow. They also knew how much that must have hindered them in planning...she didn't understand that by keeping them apart she was endangering them even more.

**Ron's prediction came true within hours. Shortly before lunch, Mrs. Weasley detached Harry from the others by asking him to help identify a lone man's sock that she thought might have come out of his rucksack. Once she had him cornered in the tiny scullery off the kitchen, she started.**

"**Ron and Hermione seem to think that the three of you are dropping out of Hogwarts," she began in a light, casual tone.**

**"Oh," said Harry. "Well, yeah. We are."** **The mangle turned of its own accord in a corner, wringing out what looked like one of Mr. Weasley's vests.**

Severus raised an eyebrow at the random comment about Molly Weasley's vest. Fred and George on the other had hid their smirks well.

"**May I ask why you are abandoning your education?" said Mrs. Weasley.**

"**Well, Dumbledore left me . . . stuff to do," mumbled Harry. "Ron and Hermione know about it, and they want to come too."**

"**What sort of 'stuff'?"**

"**I'm sorry, I can't –"**

**"Well, frankly, I think Arthur and I have a right to know, and I'm sure Mr. And Mrs. Granger would agree!" said Mrs. Weasley. Harry had been afraid of the "concerned parent" attack. He forced himself to look directly into her eyes. This did not help. He wished he could look into Severus' eyes...he couldn't even put into words how much he missed the man-**

Severus seemed to melt at those words. He kissed his lovers head and tightened his hold on the younger man. "I love you, Harry." He said softly so only he could hear. Harry just smiled softly and snuggled closer to the older man.

"**Dumbledore didn't want anyone else to know, Mrs. Weasley. I'm sorry. Ron and Hermione don't have to come, it's their choice –"**

"**I don't see that you have to go either!" she snapped, dropping all pretense now. "You're barely of age, any of you! It's utter nonsense, if Dumbledore needed work doing, he had the whole Order at his command! Harry, you must have misunderstood him. Probably he was telling you something he wanted done, and you took it to mean that he wanted you–"**

Everyone in the room shook their heads, it was Severus, however, that spoke up. "Molly needs to learn to let go. War makes people grow up faster...they have no time to be children. Everyone in this room has lived well beyond their years." Hermione knew he meant everyone in the room, but they hit her hard and she shuddered as she remembered Malfoy Manner.

"**I didn't misunderstand," said Harry flatly. "It's got to be me."** **He handed her back the single sock he was supposed to be identifying, which was patterned with golden bulrushes.** "**And that's not mine. I don't support Puddlemere United."**

Fred and George gaped at that, "Bu-but Oli works for Puddlemere United!" They exclaimed.

Harry shrugged, "I don't really have a set Quiddatch team."

Ron frowned, "Not even the Cannons?"

Harry snickered, "Sorry, Ron...I can appreciate all of the teams. They all do very well...I just don't have a favorite."

"**Oh, of course not," said Mrs. Weasley with a sudden and rather unnerving return to her casual tone. "I should have realized. Well, Harry, while we've still got you here, you won't mind helping with the preparations for Bill and Fleur's wedding, will you? There's still so much to do."**

"**No – I – of course not," said Harry, disconcerted by this sudden change of subject.**

"You are too nice sometimes, Harry." Severus said rolling his eyes playfully. "You just fell for it."

Fred nodded, "Mum is a Slytherin at heart." Ron and George nodded while Hermione watched with amusement.

"**Sweet of you," she replied, and she smiled as she left the scullery.**

**From that moment on, Mrs. Weasley kept Harry, Ron and Hermione so busy with preparations for the wedding that they hardly had any time to think. The kindest explanation of this behavior would have been that Mrs. Weasley wanted to distract them all from thoughts of Mad-Eye and the terrors of their recent journey. After two days of nonstop cutlery cleaning, of color-matching favors, ribbons, and flowers, of de-gnoming the garden and helping Mrs. Weasley cook vast batches of canapés, however, Harry started to suspect her of a different motive. All the jobs she handed out seemed to keep him, Ron, and Hermione away from one another; he had not had a chance to speak to the two of them alone since the first night, when he had told them about Voldemort torturing Ollivander.**

Severus raised an eyebrow. That was not a good thing if the trio was going to be on the run for a long period of time...

"**I think Mum thinks that if she can stop the three of you getting together and planning, she'll be able to delay you leaving," Ginny told Harry in an undertone, as they laid the table for dinner on the third night of his stay.**

**"And then what does she think's going to happen?" Harry muttered. "Someone else might kill off Voldemort while she's holding us here making vol-au-vents?"**

**He had spoken without thinking, and saw Ginny's face whiten.** "**So it's true?" she said. "That's what you're trying to do?"**

"**I – not – I was joking," said Harry evasively.**

**They stared at each other, and there was something more than shock in Ginny's expression. Suddenly Harry became aware that this was the first time that he had been alone with her since she tried to take advantage of him last year.**

"Wait, what?!" Severus asked Harry sharply. Harry just blushed and hid his face in Severus' robes as Hermione and Ron snickered as they remembered Harry's red face that day.

"It's nothing Sev...she got the wrong idea and she didn't back off. I think Fred, George, and Ron have done a pretty decent job of keeping her at bay..." Severus said nothing, he just continued to scowl at the book in Fred's hands.

**He was sure she was remembering it too. Both of them jumped as the door opened, and Mr. Weasley, Kingsley, and Bill walked in.**

**They were often joined by other Order members for dinner now, because the Burrow had replaced number twelve, Grimmauld Place as the headquarters. Mr. Weasley had explained that after the death of Dumbledore, their Secret-Keeper, each of the people to whom Dumbledore had confided Grimmauld Place's location had become a Secret-Keeper in turn.**

"**And as there are around twenty of us, that greatly dilutes the power of the Fidelius Charm. Twenty times as many opportunities for the Death Eaters to get the secret out of somebody. We can't expect it to hold much longer."**

"**But surely Snape will have told the Death Eaters the address by now?" asked Harry, knowing that wasn't true at all.**

"I kept that secret and I _will_ keep that secret to my grave." Severus said seriously.

**"Well, Mad-Eye set up a couple of curses against Snape in case he turns up there again. We hope they'll be strong enough both to keep him out and to bind his tongue if he tries to talk about the place, but we can't be sure. It would have been insane to keep using the place as headquarters now that its protection has become so shaky."**

**The kitchen was so crowded that evening it was difficult to maneuver knives and forks. Harry found himself crammed beside Ginny he suddenly wished they had been separated by a few more people.** **He was trying so hard to avoid brushing her arm he could barely cut his chicken.**

Severus raised his eyebrow again but said nothing.

"**No news about Mad-Eye?" Harry asked Bill, trying to ignore Ginny as she tried to talk to him.**

"**Nothing," replied Bill.**

**They had not been able to hold a funeral for Moody, because Bill and Lupin had failed to recover his body. It had been difficult to know where he might have fallen, given the darkness and the confusion of the battle.**

"**The Daily Prophet hasn't said a word about him dying or about finding the body," Bill went on. "But that doesn't mean much. It's keeping a lot quiet these days."**

"**And they still haven't called a hearing about all the underage magic I used escaping the Death Eaters?" Harry called across the table to Mr. Weasley, who shook his head.**

"**Because they know I had no choice or because they don't want me to tell the world Voldemort attacked me?"**

"**The latter, I think. Scrimgeour doesn't want to admit that You-Know-Who is as powerful as he is, nor that Azkaban's seen a mass breakout."**

"I'm so glad we actually have a decent Minister..." Harry said with a sigh.

"You mean a Minister who won't use you or your fame for his own needs?" George asked with a smirk.

Harry sneered, "Of course...Kingsley would never do that. He's at least got a brain. Something Fudge never had, and common sense...something Scrimgeour didn't have."

"**Yeah, why tell the public the truth?" said Harry, clenching his knife so tightly that the faint scars on the back of his right hand stood out, white against his skin: I must not tell lies.**

Severus frowned as he took Harry's right hand in his own and rubbed the scars lightly with his thumb. How he wished he knew about that horrible woman's behavior sooner.

"**Isn't anyone at the Ministry prepared to stand up to him?" asked Ron angrily.**

"**Of course, Ron, but people are terrified," Mr. Weasley replied, "terrified that they will be next to disappear, their children the next to be attacked! There are nasty rumors going around; I for one don't believe the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts resigned. She hasn't been seen for weeks now. **

Severus shuddered as he remembered Charity's death. Harry frowned and kissed his lovers cheek, realizing what he must have been thinking about. "It wasn't your fault, Sev. There was nothing you could have done...Not if you wanted to get out of there alive. And who knows what stupid thing I would have done if you had gotten yourself killed."

That seemed to snap the man out of it as he shook his head harshly, "You're never allowed to think like that! You have our little girl to think about!"

Harry sighed in frustration, "And so do you! Besides we are talking about something that happened in the past! If it really did happen we wouldn't be sitting here discussing it! This little girl wouldn't even exist!"

Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George all seemed to wince as their Potions professor and Harry argued. They had never seen them anything but in love and it killed them to see them like that. So they were all relieved when Snape sighed, letting go of his anger and apologized to Harry. He seemed to realize that he wouldn't get anywhere with Harry being nine months pregnant...something his friends were extremely grateful for.

**Meanwhile Scrimgeour remains shut up in his office all day; I just hope he's working on a plan."**

**There was a pause in which Mrs. Weasley magicked the empty plates onto the work surface and served apple tart.**

"**We must decide 'ow you will be disguised, 'Arry," said Fleur, once everyone had pudding. "For ze wedding," she added, when he looked confused.** "**Of course, none of our guests are Death Eaters, but we cannot guarantee zat zey will not let something slip after zey 'ave 'ad champagne."**

**From this, Harry gathered that she still suspected Hagrid.**

"**Yes, good point," said Mrs. Weasley from the top of the table where she sat, spectacles perched on the end of her nose, scanning an immense list of jobs that she had scribbled on a very long piece of parchment. "Now, Ron, have you cleaned out your room yet?"**

"**Why?" exclaimed Ron, slamming his spoon down and glaring at his mother. "Why does my room have to be cleaned out? Harry and I are fine with it the way it is!"**

"**We are holding your brother's wedding here in a few days' time, young man –"**

"**And are they getting married in my bedroom?" asked Ron furiously. "No! So why in the name of Merlin's saggy left –"**

The trio and the twins winced at that. Not the brightest thing to say when Molly Weasley was on a wedding rampage.

"**Don't talk to your mother like that," said Mr. Weasley firmly. "And do as you're told."**

**Ron scowled at both his parents, then picked up his spoon and attacked the last few mouthfuls of his apple tart.**

"**I can help, some of it's my mess." Harry told Ron, but Mrs. Weasley cut across him.**

"**No, Harry, dear, I'd much rather you helped Arthur muck out the chickens, and Hermione, I'd be ever so grateful if you'd change the sheets for Monsieur and Madame Delacour; you know they're arriving at eleven tomorrow morning."**

The twins and Severus sighed as they noticed her splitting them up again...that wouldn't be good when they actually left.

**But as it turned out, there was very little to do for the chickens. "There's no need to, er, mention it to Molly," Mr. Weasley told Harry, blocking his access to the coop, "but, er, Ted Tonks sent me most of what was left of Sirius's bike and, er, I'm hiding – that's to say, keeping – it in here.** **Fantastic stuff: There's an exhaust gaskin, as I believe it's called, the most magnificent battery, and it'll be a great opportunity to find out how brakes work. I'm going to try and put it all back together again when Molly's not – I mean, when I've got time."**

"You've got to love Dad." Fred said with amusement as he realized it was his Dad's way of making sure the trio had their chance at planning.

**When they returned to the house, Mrs. Weasley was nowhere to be seen, so Harry slipped upstairs to Ron's attic bedroom.**

Severus seemed to notice Arthur's Slytherin ways and smirked as Fred continued to read.

"**I'm doing it, I'm doing – ! Oh, it's you," said Ron in relief, as Harry entered the room. Ron lay back down on the bed, which he had evidently just vacated. The room was just as messy as it had been all week; the only change was that Hermione was now sitting in the far corner, her fluffy ginger cat, Crookshanks, at her feet, sorting books, some of which Harry recognized as his own, into two enormous piles.**

"**Hi, Harry," she said, as he sat down on his camp bed.**

"**And how did you manage to get away?"**

"**Oh, Ron's mum forgot that she asked Ginny and me to change the sheets yesterday," said Hermione.**

Severus smirked, "She got sloppy. Always make sure there is work to be done before asking someone to do something."

**She threw Numerology and Grammatica onto one pile and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts onto the other.**

"**We were just talking about Mad-Eye," Ron told Harry. "I reckon he might have survived."**

Everyone sighed as Ron looked sheepish. "There was no possible way he could have survived." Severus said sadly.

"**But Bill saw him hit by the Killing Curse," said Harry.**

"**Yeah, but Bill was under attack too," said Ron. "How can he be sure what he saw?"**

"**Even if the Killing Curse missed, Mad-Eye still fell about a thousand feet," said Hermione, now weighing Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland in her hand.**

"**He could have used a Shield Charm –"**

"**Fleur said his wand was blasted out of his hand," said Harry.**

"**Well, all right, if you want him to be dead," said Ron grumpily, punching his pillow into a more comfortable shape.**

Ron frowned as he watched Harry move closer to Severus, as if to take comfort from him.

"**Of course we don't want him to be dead!" said Hermione, looking shocked. "It's dreadful that he's dead! But we're being realistic!"**

**For the first time, Harry imagined Mad-Eye's body, broken as Dumbledore's had been, yet with that one eye still whizzing in its socket. He felt a stab of revulsion mixed with a bizarre desire to laugh.**

Everyone glanced at Harry in shock. "I always knew you were more morbid than I." Severus said with a smirk. Harry just shrugged with a grin, he couldn't help the way he thought. It's not like he _wanted _them to read about his thoughts.

"**The Death Eaters probably tidied up after themselves, that's why no one's found him," said Ron wisely.**

"**Yeah," said Harry. "Like Barty Crouch, turned into a bone and buried in Hagrid's front garden. They probably transfigured Moody and stuffed him –"**

"I agree with Professor Snape." Hermione said with a small frown. "You are incredibly morbid."

**"Don't!" squealed Hermione. Startled, Harry looked over just in time to see her burst into tears over her copy of Spellman's Syllabary.**

"**Oh no," said Harry, struggling to get up from the old camp bed. "Hermione, I wasn't trying to upset –"**

**But with a great creaking of rusty bedsprings, Ron bounded off the bed and got there first. One arm around Hermione, he fished in his jeans pocket and withdrew a revolting-looking handkerchief that he had used to clean out the oven earlier.** **Hastily pulling out his wand, he pointed it at the rag and said, "Tergeo."**

Fred shot his brother a look and tightened his hold on Hermione's waist before continuing. Severus, Harry, and George watched in amusement as Ron swallowed hard. He did _not_ want to make Fredrick Gideon Weasley angry.

**The wand siphoned off most of the grease. Looking rather pleased with himself, Ron handed the slightly smoking handkerchief to Hermione.**

"**Oh . . . thanks, Ron. . . . I'm sorry. . . ." She blew her nose and hiccupped. "It's just so awful, isn't it? R-right after Dumbledore . . . I j-just n-never imagined Mad-Eye dying, somehow, he seemed so tough!"**

"**Yeah, I know," said Ron, giving her a squeeze. "But you know what he'd say to us if he was here?"**

Fred read through his teeth. Ron was going to have to watch himself while he slept. Hermione just watched her boyfriend with a raised eyebrow.

"'**C-constant vigilance,'" said Hermione, mopping her eyes.**

"**That's right," said Ron, nodding. "He'd tell us to learn from what happened to him. And what I've learned is not to trust that cowardly little squit, Mundungus."**

**Hermione gave a shaky laugh and leaned forward to pick up two more books. A second later, Ron had snatched his arm back from around her shoulders; she had dropped The Monster of Monsters on his foot. The book had broken free from its restraining belt and snapped viciously at Ron's ankle.**

Fred smirked, "That's my girl." Causing everyone but Ron to laugh. Ron just sighed in relief that his brother wasn't going to kill him...yet.

"**I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Hermione cried as Harry wrenched the book from Ron's leg and retied it shut.**

"Thank you by the way, Harry." Ron said with a smile.

Harry smirked, "No problem."

**"What are you doing with all those books anyway?" Ron asked, limping back to his bed.**

"**Just trying to decide which ones to take with us," said Hermione, "When we're looking for the Horcruxes."**

"So the bloody bastard actually made Horcruxes?" George asked, they had the idea he just hoped they were wrong.

Harry grimaced but nodded, "Bloody hell." Fred said, "Seven?" he asked remembering what was said a few chapters ago. The trio nodded again causing the twins to pale and Severus to glare at the book in Fred's hands.

"**Oh, of course," said Ron, clapping a hand to his forehead. "I forgot we'll be hunting down Voldemort in a mobile library." **

Hermione took a leaf from Harry's book and charmed a pillow to hit Ron over the head. "Ow! Oof! Alright! Alright! I'm sorry!"

"You are a bloody fool, Ron." George said with a smirk as he watched the smartest witch of her age take the charm off the pillowand cross her arms over her chest before snuggling closer to his twin.

"**Ha ha," said Hermione, looking down at Spellman's Syllabary. "I wonder . . . will we need to translate runes? It's possible. . . . I think we'd better take it, to be safe."** **She dropped the syllabary onto the larger of the two piles and picked up Hogwarts, A History.**

"**Listen," said Harry.** **He had sat up straight. Ron and Hermione looked at him with similar mixtures of resignation and defiance.** "**I know you said after Dumbledore's funeral that you wanted to come with me," Harry began.**

Severus groaned, "Don't tell me...he's going to try and talk you out of going with him?"

Ron and Hermione smirked as Harry pouted, "That's Harry." Ron admitted as Severus kissed the pout off of Harry.

"**Here he goes," Ron said to Hermione, rolling his eyes.**

"**As we knew he would," she sighed, turning back to the books. "You know, I think I will take Hogwarts, A History. Even if we're not going back there, I don't think I'd feel right if I didn't have it with –"**

"**Listen!" said Harry again.**

"**No, Harry, you listen," said Hermione. "We're coming with you. That was decided months ago – years, really."**

Ron and Hermione nodded as the twins and Severus smirked.

"**But –"**

"**Shut up," Ron advised him.**

"Finally!"

"Someone has,"

"Learned the proper way,"

"Of shutting Harry up!" The twins finished together causing everyone, including Harry, to snicker slightly.

"– **are you sure you've thought this through?" Harry persisted.**

**"Let's see," said Hermione, slamming Travels with Trolls onto the discarded pile with a rather fierce look. "I've been packing for days, so we're ready to leave at a moment's notice, which for your information has included doing some pretty difficult magic, not to mention smuggling Mad-Eye's whole stock of Polyjuice Potion right under Ron's mum's nose.**

The twins looked at Hermione with newfound respect. "How in Merlin's name," Fred started with wide eyes.

"Did you manage that?" George continued with the same shocked expression. Hermione just blushed and turned away.

"**I've also modified my parents' memories so that they're convinced they're really called Wendell and Monica Wilkins, and that their life's ambition is to move to Australia, which they have now done. That's to make it more difficult for Voldemort to track them down and interrogate them about me – or you, because unfortunately, I've told them quite a bit about you.**

**"Assuming I survive our hunt for the Horcruxes, I'll find Mum and Dad and lift the enchantment. If I don't – well, I think I've cast a good enough charm to keep them safe and happy. Wendell and Monica Wilkins don't know that they've got a daughter, you see."**

Severus was shocked to see how far seventeen year olds went to make sure his Harry was safe. He would never be able to look at Hermione Granger the same way ever again. "Did you find them?" he asked softly.

Hermione looked sad as she nodded, "I love my Mum and Dad but I left them without their memory...they've had another daughter you see...and they've named her Hermione."

Everyone in the room winced as they heard this. Fred handed the book to his twin as she began to cry. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered sweet nothings in her ear, trying his best to make her feel better.

**Hermione's eyes were swimming with tears again. Ron got back off the bed, put his arm around her once more, and frowned at Harry as though reproaching him for lack of tact. Harry could not think of anything to say, not least because it was highly unusual for Ron to be teaching anyone else tact. Harry realized with a start that Fred must've threatened Ron to take care of Hermione.**

Fred gave a slight nod of his head but continued to keep his focus on Hermione.

"**I – Hermione, I'm sorry – I didn't –"**

"**Didn't realize that Ron and I know perfectly well what might happen if we come with you? Well, we do. Ron, show Harry what you've done."**

Severus raised an eyebrow, he was curious as Hermione had gone pretty far to make sure no one would find her family. He wondered how far the youngest Weasley male would go.

"**Nah, he's just eaten," said Ron.**

"**Go on, he needs to know!"**

"**Oh, all right. Harry, come here."** **For the second time Ron withdrew his arm from around Hermione and stumped over to the door.**

"**C'mon."**

"**Why?" Harry asked, following Ron out of the room onto the tiny landing.**

"**Descendo," muttered Ron, pointing his wand at the low ceiling. A hatch opened right over their heads and a ladder slid down to their feet. A horrible, half-sucking, half-moaning sound came out of the square hole, along with an unpleasant smell like open drains.**

Everyone's face was one of disgust.

"**That's your ghoul, isn't it?" asked Harry, who had never actually met the creature that sometimes disrupted the nightly silence.**

"**Yeah, it is," said Ron, climbing the ladder. "Come and have a look at him."**

**Harry followed Ron up the few short steps into the tiny attic space. His head and shoulders were in the room before he caught sight of the creature curled up a few feet from him, fast asleep in the gloom with its large mouth wide open.**

"**But it . . . it looks . . . do ghouls normally wear pajamas?"**

Severus' eyebrows met his hairline as George read that. Hermione on the other hand giggled slightly and began to calm down.

"**No," said Ron. "Nor have they usually got red hair or that number of pustules."**

**Harry contemplated the thing, slightly revolted. It was human in shape and size, and was wearing what, now that Harry's eyes became used to the darkness, was clearly an old pair of Ron's pajamas. He was also sure that ghouls were generally rather slimy and bald, rather than distinctly hairy and covered in angry purple blisters.**

"**He's me, see?" said Ron.**

"**No," said Harry. "I don't."**

"**I'll explain it back in my room, the smell's getting to me," said Ron. They climbed back down the ladder, which Ron returned to the ceiling, and rejoined Hermione, who was still sorting books.**

"**Once we've left, the ghoul's going to come and live down here in my room," said Ron. "I think he's really looking forward to it – well, it's hard to tell, because all he can do is moan and drool – but he nods a lot when you mention it. Anyway, he's going to be me with spattergroit. Good, eh?"**

Severus gave Ron a look of approval. "A very good plan, Mr. Weasley." Ron stared at the professor in shock, he had never received praise from the most hated Potions Professor.

**Harry merely looked at him in his confusion.**

"**It is!" said Ron, clearly frustrated that Harry had not grasped the brilliance of the plan. "Look, when we three don't turn up at Hogwarts again, everyone's going to think Hermione and I must be with you, right?** **Which means the Death Eaters will go straight for our families to see if they've got information on where you are."**

"**But hopefully it'll look like I've gone away with Mum and Dad; a lot of Muggle-borns are talking about going into hiding at the moment," said Hermione.**

**"We can't hide my whole family, it'll look too fishy and they can't all leave their jobs," said Ron. "So we're going to put out the story that I'm seriously ill with spattergroit, which is why I can't go back to school. If anyone comes calling to investigate, Mum or Dad can show them the ghoul in my bed, covered in pustules. Spattergroit's really contagious, so they're not going to want to go near him. It won't matter that he can't say anything, either, because apparently you can't once the fungus has spread to your uvula."**

Severus continued to nod in approval, they were both rather creative plans. Each genuinely Granger and Weasley in their own way.

"**And your mum and dad are in on this plan?" asked Harry.**

"**Dad is. He helped Fred and George transform the ghoul. Mum . . . well, you've seen what she's like. She won't accept we're going till we're gone."**

"Which could be dangerous." Severus said lowly, so only Harry could hear. Harry nodded along with his lover.

**There was silence in the room, broken only by gentle thuds as Hermione continued to throw books onto one pile or the other. Ron sat watching her, and Harry looked from one to the other, unable to say anything. The measure they had taken to protect their families made him realize, more than anything else could have done, that they really were going to come with him and that they knew exactly how dangerous that would be. He wanted to tell them what that meant to him, but he simply could not find words important enough.**

"We know, Harry." Hermione said softly. "You're the brother I've never had. You've been there for me when I needed you, how can I not return the favor." Ron just nodded in agreement, causing Harry's hormonal tears to come back full force. So he hid his face in Severus' robes, causing the older man to chuckle.

**Through the silence came the muffled sounds of Mrs. Weasley shouting from four floors below.**

"**Ginny's probably left a speck of dust on a proxy napkin ring," said Ron. "I dunno why the Delacours have got to come two days before the wedding."**

"**Fleur's sister's a bridesmaid, she needs to be here for the rehearsal, and she's too young to come on her own," said Hermione, as she poured indecisively over Break with a Banshee.**

"**Well, guests aren't going to help Mum's stress levels," said Ron.**

The teens in the room flinched as they remembered how bad Molly was once the guests arrived. "When we get married, we're going to tie my mother down." Fred said to Hermione with a nod.

"I may agree with you there." she admitted.

Severus on the other had had begun whispering in Harry's ear. "Whenever we do get bonded...we're moving to America so Molly Weasley cannot torture us." Harry just chuckled at his lover, happy to see the carefree side of the man since the end of the war.

"**What we really need to decide," said Hermione, tossing Defensive Magical Theory into the bin without a second glance** **and picking up An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe, "is where we're going after we leave here. I know you said you wanted to go to Godric's Hollow first, Harry, and I understand why, but . . . well . . . shouldn't we make the Horcruxes our priority?"**

"The first thing he did was make sure he could get information from Godric's Hallow. It's probably best you didn't go at first. He knew that's where you'd want to go." Severus admitted with a frown. "But if you wish to visit, we can go after our little girl is born."

Hermione's eyes lit up at that, "So it's gonna be a girl?! That's so exciting! I'm gonna be an Aunt!" Harry blushed a Weasley red as she continued to get excited and hid his face back into Sev's robes. Everyone else in the room laughed at her excitement.

Fred quickly took the book back from his twin and began to read, to spare his youngest brother the embarrassment.

"**If we knew where any of the Horcruxes were, I'd agree with you," said Harry, who did not believe that Hermione really understood his desire to return to Godric's Hollow. His parents' graves were only part of the attraction: He had a strong, though inexplicable, feeling that the place held answers for him.** **Perhaps it was simply because it was there that he had survived Voldemort's Killing Curse; now that he was facing the challenge of repeating the feat,** **Harry was drawn to the place where it had happened, wanting to understand.**

Harry began to shake as he remembered the horrible vision he had recieved thanks to their trip to Godric's Hallow. Severus saw that Harry wasn't about to calm down so he summoned a diluted calming drought that wouldn't harm the baby and made sure Harry took it.

Once the potion was in his system and he began to calm down, Fred continued. Though they all watched Harry a little more carefully.

"**Don't you think there's a possibility that Voldemort's keeping a watch on Godric's Hollow?" Hermione asked. "He might expect you to go back and visit your parents' graves once you're free to go wherever you like?"**

**This had not occurred to Harry. While he struggled to find a counterargument, Ron spoke up, evidently following his own train of thought.** "**This R.A.B. person," he said. "You know, the one who stole the real locket?"**

Those initials seemed to stir something in Severus. He struggled to remember the source but he knew it was slightly important.

**Hermione nodded.**

"**He said in his note he was going to destroy it, didn't he?"**

**Harry dragged his rucksack toward him and pulled out the fake Horcrux in which R.A.B.'s note was still folded.** "'**I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can.'" Harry read out.**

"**Well, what if he did finish it off?" said Ron.**

"**Or she." Interposed Hermione.**

"**Whichever," said Ron. "It'd be one less for us to do!"**

"**Yes, but we're still going to have to try and trace the real locket, aren't we?" said Hermione, "to find out whether or not it's destroyed."**

"**And once we get hold of it, how do you destroy a Horcrux?" asked Ron.**

"Wait a second...he never _told_ you did he?" Severus asked dangerously soft.

Harry shook his head, "He just left us with a bunch of riddles."

"He was supposed to be teaching you how to destroy him that year and he never once mentioned how to destroy a bloody _horcrux_?!" Severus was livid. He would be having a 'talk' with the old coot's portrait when they were done there.

"**Well," said Hermione, "I've been researching that."**

"**How?" asked Harry. "I didn't think there were any books on Horcruxes in the library?"**

"**There weren't," said Hermione, who had turned pink. "Dumbledore removed them all, but he – he didn't destroy them." Ron sat up straight, wide-eyed.**

Severus raised his eyebrow again, what had Miss. Granger done _this_ time?

"**How in the name of Merlin's pants have you managed to get your hands on those Horcrux books?"**

"**It – it wasn't stealing!" said Hermione,** **looking from Harry to Ron with a kind of desperation. "They were still library books, even if Dumbledore had taken them off the shelves. Anyway, if he really didn't want anyone to get at them, I'm sure he would have made it much harder to –"**

"Albus would have made sure they were _impossible_ to get to if he really wanted to." Severus admitted, agreeing with Hermione.

"**Get to the point!" said Ron.**

"**Well . . . it was easy," said Hermione in a small voice. "I just did a Summoning Charm. You know – Accio. And – they zoomed out of Dumbledore's study window right into the girls' dormitory."**

"**But when did you do this?" Harry asked, regarding Hermione with a mixture of admiration and incredulity.**

"**Just after his – Dumbledore's – funeral," said Hermione in an even smaller voice. "Right after we agreed we'd leave school and go and look for the Horcruxes. When I went back upstairs to get my things it – it just occurred to me that the more we knew about them, the better it would be . . . and I was alone in there . . . so I tried . . . and it worked. They flew straight in through the open window and I – I packed them."**

Severus sighed, leave it to Albus to do something so simple...something that would have never occurred to them if they didn't have Hermione.

**She swallowed and then said imploringly, "I can't believe Dumbledore would have been angry, it's not as though we're going to use the information to make a Horcrux, is it?"**

"And that's exactly why he would have wanted you to have those books, Miss. Granger." Severus said kindly.

Hermione smiled, "It's Hermione, Professor. My best friend and brother is having your baby. You must have done something right, so please. Call me Hermione."

Severus smirked, "Then, Hermione, you'll have to call me Severus in return...but only when we are out of hearing of those dunderheads called students." Hermione nodded, her own smirk on her face as Ron and the twins looked at the two of them in shock. Harry just smiled, glad Severus and Hermione could get along.

"**Can you hear us complaining?" said Ron. "Where are these books anyway?"**

**Hermione rummaged for a moment and then extracted from the pile a large volume, bound in faded black leather. She looked a little nauseated and held it as gingerly as if it were something recently dead.**

Hermione shuttered, "That book was horrible. I'm glad we burned it..."

"Smart idea, Hermione. We don't want anyone else to have the knowledge to make more of those things." Severus said approvingly.

"**This is the one that gives explicit instructions on how to make a Horcrux. Secrets of the Darkest Art – it's a horrible book, really awful, full of evil magic. I wonder when Dumbledore removed it from the library. . . . if he didn't do it until he was headmaster, I bet Voldemort got all the instruction he needed from here."**

"**Why did he have to ask Slughorn how to make a Horcrux, then, if he'd already read that?" asked Ron.**

"**He only approached Slughorn to find out what would happen if you split your soul into seven," said Harry. "Dumbledore was sure Riddle already knew how to make a Horcrux by the time he asked Slughorn about them. I think you're right, Hermione, that could easily have been where he got the information."**

"**And the more I've read about them," said Hermione, "the more horrible they seem, and the less I can believe that he actually made six. It warns in this book how unstable you make the rest of your soul by ripping it, and that's just by making one Horcrux!"**

Everyone shuddered at the thought of ripping their soul.

**Harry remembered what Dumbledore had said about Voldemort moving beyond "usual evil."**

"Sick bastard."

"**Isn't there any way of putting yourself back together?" Ron asked.**

"**Yes," said Hermione with a hollow smile, "but it would be excruciatingly painful."**

"**Why? How do you do it?" asked Harry.**

"**Remorse," said Hermione.** "**You've got to really feel what you've done. There's a footnote. Apparently the pain of it can destroy you. I can't see Voldemort attempting it somehow, can you?"**

Everyone in the room shook their heads, they could not imagine the darkest of lords attempting it.

"**No," said Ron, before Harry could answer. "So does it say how to destroy Horcruxes in that book?"**

**"Yes," said Hermione, now turning the fragile pages as if examining rotting entrails, "because it warns Dark wizards how strong they have to make the enchantments on them. From all that I've read, what Harry did to Riddle's diary was one of the few really foolproof ways of destroying a Horcrux."**

"**What, stabbing it with a basilisk fang?" asked Harry.**

"**Oh well, lucky we've got such a large supply of basilisk fangs, then," said Ron. "I was wondering what we were going to do with them."**

Severus didn't know what to do. On one hand, had Harry told him the urgentness of this mission he would have made sure he could have gotten into the Chamber whenever he needed but it was in the past now and there was nothing he could do.

"**It doesn't have to be a basilisk fang," said Hermione patiently. "It has to be something so destructive that the Horcrux can't repair itself. Basilisk venom only has one antidote, and it's incredibly rare –"**

"– **phoenix tears," said Harry, nodding.**

Everyone in the room looked at Harry with shock written on their faces, "Harry," Severus said slowly, "How do you know that?"

Harry bit his lip and shrugged, "When I fought the basilisk in my second year I might or might not have got bitten...and Faux might or might not have healed it before anyone saw it..." Severus' hold on him tightened as he thought of never getting close to the boy.

If Faux hadn't been there Harry would not have survived...and he never would have had the chance to get over himself. He never would have fallen in love and he probably would have died long before now...he didn't even want to think about it.

"**Exactly," said Hermione. "Our problem is that there are very few substances as destructive as basilisk venom, and they're all dangerous to carry around with you. That's a problem we're going to have to solve, though, because ripping, smashing, or crushing a Horcrux won't do the trick. You've got to put it beyond magical repair."**

"**But even if we wreck the thing it lives in," said Ron, "why can't the bit of soul in it just go and live in something else?"**

"**Because a Horcrux is the complete opposite of a human being."**

**Seeing that Harry and Ron looked thoroughly confused, Hermione hurried on. "Look, if I picked up a sword right now, Ron, and ran you through with it, I wouldn't damage your soul at all."**

"**Which would be a real comfort to me, I'm sure," said Ron. Harry laughed.**

"**It should be, actually! But my point is that whatever happens to your body, your soul will survive, untouched," said Hermione. "But it's the other way round with a Horcrux. The fragment of soul inside it depends on its container, its enchanted body, for survival. It can't exist without it."**

"**That diary sort of died when I stabbed it," said Harry, remembering ink pouring like blood from the punctured pages, and the screams of the piece of Voldemort's soul as it vanished.**

Harry shuddered slightly at the reminder. Severus just rubbed his arm soothingly.

"**And once the diary was properly destroyed, the bit of soul trapped in it could no longer exist. Ginny tried to get rid of the diary before you did, flushing it away, but obviously it came back good as new."**

Severus was really starting to dislike Ginny. He knew she had no idea that Harry was his at that point in time...but he just didn't like her...at all.

Harry seemed to know what he was thinking and chuckled softly to himself, he was about to get a whole lot worse after the whole Ginny kissing him debacle.

"**While the magical container is still intact, the bit of soul inside it can flit in and out of someone if they get too close to the object. I don't mean holding it for too long, it's nothing to do with touching it," she added before Ron could speak.** "**I mean close emotionally. Ginny poured her heart out into that diary, she made herself incredibly vulnerable. You're in trouble if you get too fond of or dependent on the Horcrux."**

**"I wonder how Dumbledore destroyed the ring?" said Harry. "Why didn't I ask him? I never really . . ."**

**His voice trailed away: He was thinking of all the things he should have asked Dumbledore, and of how, since the headmaster had died, it seemed to Harry that he had wasted so many opportunities when Dumbledore had been alive, to find out more . . . to find out everything. . . .**

"That," Severus said dangerously, "Is not your fault. That was the headmasters job and he didn't fulfill it."

**The silence was shattered as the bedroom door flew open with a wall-shaking crash. Hermione shrieked and dropped Secrets of the Darkest Art; Crookshanks streaked under the bed, hissing indignantly; Ron jumped off the bed, skidded on a discarded Chocolate Frog wrapper, and smacked his head on the opposite wall; and Harry instinctively dived for his wand before realizing that he was looking up at Mrs. Weasley, whose hair was disheveled and whose face was contorted with rage.**

The twins and Severus all smirked at the horrified looks on the trio's faces.

"**I'm so sorry to break up this cozy little gathering," she said, her voice trembling. "I'm sure you all need your rest . . . but there are wedding presents stacked in my room that need sorting out and I was under the impression that you had agreed to help."**

Severus shook his head, "She really needs to learn that there is a time and a place for guilt trips and this is not one of them." Everyone else in the room nodded in agreement.

"**Oh yes," said Hermione, looking terrified as she leapt to her feet, sending books flying in every direction. "we will . . . we're sorry . . ."** **With an anguished look at Harry and Ron, Hermione hurried out of the room after Mrs. Weasley.**

"**it's like being a house-elf," complained Ron in an undertone, still massaging his head as he and Harry followed. "Except without the job satisfaction.** **The sooner this wedding's over, the happier, I'll be."**

"**Yeah," said Harry, "then we'll have nothing to do except find Horcruxes. . . . It'll be like a holiday, won't it?"**

**Ron started to laugh, but at the sight of the enormous pile of wedding presents waiting for them in Mrs. Weasley's room, stopped quite abruptly.**

The twins, Hermione, and Harry all chuckled at the reminder of his face...it was priceless.

**The Delacours arrived the following morning at eleven o' clock. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were feeling quite resentful toward Fleur's family by this time; and it was with ill grace that Ron stumped back upstairs to put on matching socks, and Harry attempted to flatten his hair. Once they had all been deemed smart enough, they trooped out into the sunny backyard to await the visitors.**

**Harry had never seen the place looking so tidy. The rusty cauldrons and old Wellington boots that usually littered the steps by the back door were gone, replaced by two new Flutterby bushes standing either side of the door in large pots; though there was no breeze, the leaves waved lazily, giving an attractive rippling effect. The chickens had been shut away, the yard had been swept, and the nearby garden had been pruned, plucked, and generally spruced up, although Harry, who liked it in its overgrown state, thought that it looked rather forlorn without its usual contingent of capering gnomes.**

**He had lost track of how many security enchantments had been placed upon the Burrow by both the Order and the Ministry; all he knew was that it was no longer possible for anybody to travel by magic directly into the place.**

**Mr. Weasley had therefore gone to meet the Delacours on top of a nearby hill, where they were to arrive by Portkey. The first sound of their approach was an unusually high-pitched laugh, which turned out to be coming from Mr. Weasley, who appeared at the gate moments later, laden with luggage and leading a beautiful blonde woman in long, leaf green robes, who could be Fleur's mother.**

"**Maman!" cried Fleur, rushing forward to embrace her. "Papa!"**

**Monsieur Delacour was nowhere near as attractive as his wife; he was a head shorter and extremely plump, with a little, pointed black beard. However, he looked good-natured.**

**Bouncing towards Mrs. Weasley on high-heeled boots, he kissed her twice on each cheek, leaving her flustered.** "**You 'ave been so much trouble," he said in a deep voice. "Fleur tells us you 'ave been working very 'ard."**

"**Oh, it's been nothing, nothing!" trilled Mrs. Weasley. "No trouble at all!"**

They all had incredulous looks. Including Severus, just by reading it he knew the woman was a nightmare when it came to weddings.

**Ron relieved his feelings by aiming a kick at a gnome who was peering out from behind one of the new Flutterby bushes.**

"Tell us,

"How you,

"Really feel Ron." The twins said together with smirks on their identical faces.

"**Dear lady!" said Monsieur Delacour, still holding Mrs. Weasley's hand between his own two plump ones and beaming. "We are most honored at the approaching union of our two families! Let me present my wife, Apolline."**

**Madame Delacour glided forward and stooped to kiss Mrs. Weasley too.**

"**Enchantée," she said. "Your 'usband 'as been telling us such amusing stories!"**

**Mr. Weasley gave a maniacal laugh; Mrs. Weasley threw him a look, upon which he became immediately silent and assumed an expression appropriate to the sickbed of a close friend.**

"Dad was perfectly fine." Ron pouted, "There was nothing wrong with his stories! He at least made them laugh."

**"And, of course, you 'ave met my leetle daughter, Gabrielle!" said Monsieur Delacour. Gabrielle was Fleur in miniature; eleven years old, with waist-length hair of pure, silvery blonde, she gave Mrs. Weasley a dazzling smile and hugged her, then threw Harry a glowing look, batting her eyelashes. Ginny cleared her throat loudly, Harry just rolled his eyes. When would they realize he wasn't interested?**

Severus growled and glared at the book whilst tightening his hold on Harry.

"**Well, come in, do!" said Mrs. Weasley brightly, and she ushered the Delacours into the house, with many "No, please!"s and "After you!"s and "Not at all!"s.**

**The Delacours, it soon transpired, were helpful, pleasant guests. They were pleased with everything and keen to assist with the preparations for the wedding. Monsieur Delacour pronounced everything from the seating plan to the bridesmaids' shoes "Charmant!" Madame Delacour was most accomplished at household spells and had the oven properly cleaned in a trice; Gabrielle followed her elder sister around, trying to assist in any way she could and jabbering away in rapid French.**

"Dear Merlin that was such a headache!" Ron admitted.

"Vraiment? Je n'ai eu aucun problème." George said with a smirk.

"Show off." Ron muttered under his breath.

**On the downside, the Burrow was not built to accommodate so many people. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were now sleeping in the sitting room, having shouted down Monsieur and Madame Delacour's protests and insisted they take their bedroom. Gabrielle was sleeping with Fleur in Percy's old room, and Bill would be sharing with Charlie, his best man, once Charlie arrived from Romania. Opportunities to make plans together became virtually nonexistent, and it was in desperation that Harry, Ron and Hermione took to volunteering to feed the chickens just to escape the overcrowded house.**

**"But she still won't leave us alone!" snarled Ron, and their second attempt at a meeting in the yard was foiled by the appearance of Mrs. Weasley carrying a large basket of laundry in her arms.**

There was snickering around the room at the imagery.

"**Oh, good, you've fed the chickens," she called as she approached them. "We'd better shut them away again before the men arrive tomorrow . . . to put up the tent for the wedding," she explained, pausing to lean against the henhouse. She looked exhausted. "Millamant's Magic Marquees . . . they're very good. Bill's escorting them. . . . You'd better stay inside while they're here, Harry. I must say it does complicate organizing a wedding, having all these security spells around the place."**

"That's got to be the worst thing she's ever said to you." Ron said shaking his head in disbelief.

"**I'm sorry," said Harry humbly.**

"**Oh, don't be silly, dear!" said Mrs. Weasley at once. "I didn't mean – well, your safety's much more important! Actually, I've been wanting to ask you how you want to celebrate your birthday, Harry. Seventeen, after all, it's an important day. . . ."**

"**I don't want a fuss," said Harry quickly, envisaging the additional strain this would put on them all.** "**Really, Mrs. Weasley, just a normal dinner would be fine. . . . It's the day before the wedding. . . ."**

"**Oh, well, if you're sure, dear. I'll invite Remus and Tonks, shall I? And how about Hagrid?"**

"**That'd be great," said Harry. "But please, don't go to loads of trouble."**

"**Not at all, not at all . . . It's no trouble. . . ."**

**She looked at him, a long, searching look, then smiled a little sadly, straightened up, and walked away. Harry watched as she waved her wand near the washing line, and the damp clothes rose into the air to hang themselves up, and suddenly he felt a great wave of remorse for the inconvenience and the pain he was giving her.**

"That," Harry said, "And the fact that I wished you could have been there."

"Well, that's the end of the chapter." Fred said, "Who's next?"

"I will." Ron said with a groan.

"Oh Merlin." Harry groaned as Fred and George's eyes lit up with mischief.

"Take a picture!" "It's the end of the world!" "Ronnikins is gonna read a book!"

"Oh knock it off you two!" Hermione shouted smacking both of them upside the head. They both cringed and tried to protect their heads as she levitated the book to Ron.


End file.
